Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Oyo State gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 9 election, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, wednesday said he’s approaching the Supreme Court to validate his victory at the poll.
Adelabu disclosed this while reacting to the Monday judgement by the Court of Appeal, which set aside the tribunal judgement which ruled in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital had on Monday set aside the tribunal judgement which nullified the petition of Adelabu against Makinde, but the tribunal had in September dismissed Adelabu’s petition against Makinde.
However, the APC candidate while breaking his silence maintained that the pronouncement made by the Court of Appeal has further rekindled his hope in both the electoral and judicial processes.
Adelabu, in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, alleged that some agents of darkness perfected the plan to steal his mandate, this according to him, necessitated his resolve to approach the judiciary to reclaim his mandate.
“The pronouncement made by the Election Appeal Tribunal on our challenge of the ruling of the lower Tribunal on Monday has further rekindled our hope in both the electoral and judicial processes in our march to keep a date with history.
“When our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presented me as her standard bearer in the 2019 gubernatorial election in Oyo State, we never wavered in our conviction that the good people of the state knew that I was best candidate among the lots that came out to seek their mandate.
“But we never took this for granted as we worked tirelessly round the clock to showcase our blueprint to turn the fortunes of our dear state around for the better,” he said.
Adelabu who added that he ran the most organised campaign, urged the people of the state to hold the peace and go about their lawful activities as he approach the Supreme Court to validate the victory.
“It is on record that we ran the most organised and issue-driven campaign and our people, having been convinced of our ability to walk the talk freely gave me their mandate in the election.
“However, the agents of darkness perfected the plan to steal this mandate, hence our recourse to the judiciary to proof their wrongdoing.
“The lower Tribunal, which concerned itself with technicalities rather with the substance of our argument ruled otherwise.
“Now that the Appeal Court has set the tone of righting the wrong, I appeal to the good people of Oyo State to hold the peace and go about their lawful activities as we approach the Supreme Court to validate your victory.
“After the darkness, no matter how long it takes, comes sunshine. Victory is certain for us and the mass of the people of our state,” he said.
