Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday stormed major streets in Osogbo to protest against the Election Petitions Tribunal Judgment that sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The protesters, who were in large numbers held placards with different inscriptions while chanting anti-opposition songs. They had campaign vehicles across the streets.
Some of the inscriptions on placards were: “We say no to APC in Osun,” “Tribunal Panel is not fair,” “Don’t Dash our peoples mandates,” “Olorunda Local Government says no to tribunal judgment.”
The angry protesters also blocked most roads leading to the popular Olaiya junction and Old garage to show their grievances. This led to heavy gridlock.
A protester, Taiwo Akinyele, said he was not happy with the Tribunal’s judgment although the evidence before the court was clear that Governor Adeleke won the election.
Akinyele decried the attitude of the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Tertsea Kume, who gave a different judgment despite all evidence against the petitioners.
He expressed optimism that his party (PDP) would retrieve its mandate at the Court of Appeal in Akure in due course.
He said:
“It is just a matter of time. We have been deceived and denied of our mandate. Osun people are tired of APC for all their harsh policies. I know God will intervene.”
In response to the protest, police in Osun have warned against a breakdown of law and order and vowed to ensure the peace of the state.
Police personnel and other sister agencies were seen patrolling major roads to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
Earlier, Gboyega Oyetola of APC and the immediate past governor of the state had challenged the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INEC) declaration of Ademola Adeleke of PDP as the winner of the election.
Oyetola and the APC had on August 5, 2022, filed a petition before the tribunal in Osogbo, challenging the election results from 749 polling units across 10 LGAs, alleging over-voting.
INEC had declared Adeleke the winner of the election, having polled 403,271 votes against 375,027 polled by Oyetola.
However, on Friday the judgment delivered by the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Kume, upheld that the July 16, 2022 governorship election did not comply with the Electoral Act, adding that there was indeed overvoting in six local government areas in Osun.
The tribunal chairman hence declared Oyetola as the winner of the July 16, 2022, governorship election.
Meanwhile, some of the protesters held that their mandate was taken away from them in a repetition of what transpired in the 2018 election.
