Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Osun State Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has hailed the overwhelming rejection of the Election Petition Tribunal judgement by the people of the state.
In a statement signed and made available to newsmen by his media aide, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke expressed delight at the people’s action, assuring that his administration will defend and ensure that their mandate is not stolen again.
Adeleke who reacted to protests of support and rejection of the judgement from the local governments and LCDAs, said it is a reaffirmation of popular support for his government.
He assured that “the popular mandate will not be stolen either through front or backdoor.”
“I have read stories of multiple protests and I have seen many videos from all over the state. From Central, West and East, I am overwhelmed by your open defence of our mandate. I express my appreciation to our people for their show of support. Your love for me is much appreciated.
”We have not done anything wrong. We won clearly with a wide margin. Local and foreign observers hailed our election as the best in recent Nigerian history.
“Be rest assured that by God and Man, justice will be done. Our mandate won’t be stolen.
“I urge you to remain calm. We should not take the law into our hands. We have appealed the judgement and we are sure of victory by the special grace of God,” he said.
victory by the special grace of God.”
Tribunal chair acted like mercenary – PDP
Meanwhile, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has knocked the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tertsea Kume, for what it described as the judge’s “unethical and disrespectful choice of words” in the lead judgment sacking Adeleke.
Addressing newsmen in Osogbo on Saturday, the acting state chairman of the party, Dr Adekunle Akindele, accused the tribunal chairman of acting like “a hired mercenary,” claiming the judge did not disguise his alleged bias during the proceedings.
He said,: “Our party had always suspected Mr Tertsea Kume’s conduct in the course of hearing of the petition. Most times, the Benue State-born controversial arbiter would get lost and get himself overwhelmed with his bias tendencies and enter the role of lead counsel to the petitioner, arguing points for them like a hired mercenary, even when it was obvious the hired counsel for the petitioner had lost their way.
“This reckless abuse of privilege got to a head when Mr Kume had to step down hearing twice for the APC lead counsel to adjust and regain himself when the latter got lost in traffic of trying to adumbrate white as black in their final written address.
“What more, the premeditated stance of the tribunal chairman was clearly demonstrated in his side of the stalemate with his choice of words which we considered unethical, disrespectful and unbecoming of a judicial officer of such standing.
“Even if the judgement was way-billed to him, as we suspected, by his petitioner collaborators, he should have disguised and exercised some restraints by expunging the foul languages obviously written for him in local parlance of Buga lyrics to disrespect an elected governor. He shouldn’t have gone so low, low, low!
“This is more so, when he’s expected not to be too carried away or in the least, to be aware that his warped position was a mere starting point in the legal tussle in this context as provided in our extant laws.”
He charged Nigerians to be ready to end exploitation by minority in the land and called on Osun people to be calm in steadfastness, and defend their mandate given to the party.
