Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the recent governorship election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said that he was not informed about the relocation of the Elections Petitions Tribunal from the Osun State High Court of Justice, Osogbo, to Abuja.
Daily Sun gathered that the relocation of the tribunal where a three- man panel had been sitting, was announced via a one paragraph memo published on the notice board of the tribunal in Osogbo, the state capital, at the weekend.
The information on the notice board reads in part: “This is to inform the general public that the sitting of Osun State Governorship Elections Tribunal has been relocated from the High Court of Justice Complex, Osogbo, to FCT High Court, No. 24, Apo Abuja.”
In the notice, the Secretary to the tribunal, Adamu Aliyu, is however, silent on the reason for the relocation.
Adeleke told newsmen in Osogbo yesterday that he remained undeterred in his battle to claim his mandate despite the development.
” Irrespective of the geographical location of the tribunal the facts remain unchanged,” he said.
He added: ” Our lawyers and professionals are ready to expose all electoral frauds committed by the All Progressives Congress and the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to subvert the will of the people and we shall retrieve the stollen mandate.”
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In reaction, the APC, in a statement yesterday, through its spokesman, Kunle Oyatomi, said: ‘We in the APC have no objection to the relocation of the state’s gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal to Abuja. It is a legal process permitted by the law of Nigeria. We support the movement, so long it dispenses justice fairly and without favour.”
The APC added: “We like to point out to the PDP and its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke that by the fact on the ground of the two elections and the official and legitimate pronouncement of the results of those elections by INEC, the mandate of the people of Osun remains that of Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and not for Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke; not as the PDP is claiming.”
‘Unless and until that reality is overturned by the courts, the mandate for governorship of the state by Osun people remains that of the APC candidate, Alhaji Oyetola.
“So, they should stop talking nonsense about a stolen mandate.”