Following the verdict by the Supreme Court on Tuesday affirming his election as the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has urged his opponents including his major contender, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola to join hands with him in moving the South-West state forward.
Adeleke, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, said there is no victor and no vanquished in the whole legal saga.
“With the litigations over, I call on all Osun State indigenes to join hands with me and move Osun State forward,” he said.
“There is no victor and no vanquished. My hands are open for ideas, anything they can do to move Osun State forward.”
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun says Buhari’s congratulatory message to him on the Supreme Court victory is not surprising to him.
The Osun leader is promising more “goodies on the way” for the people of Osun State. #PoliticsToday#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/ycLxTz2mMn
— Channels Television (@channelstv) May 9, 2023
Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court set aside the appeal by Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the election of Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Osun State Governor.
The apex court, in its judgment read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, also upheld the Appeal Court’s judgment which upheld the election of Adeleke as the state governor.
The apex court held that the appellant failed to adduce enough evidence to prove his allegation of over voting in the July 16, 2022 governorship poll.
The judgment was affirmed and adopted by the entire five members of the panel.
According to all the members of the panel, the appeal lacked merit.
Commenting on his legal victory, the governor said, “I thank the people of Osun State, they stood by me and are still standing by me. They trooped out on July 16 (2022) and voted me. I thank them because the love is organic.
“The Tribunal’s judgement was a miscarriage of justice. The Appeal Court improved it and now, today, the Supreme Court affirmed that I am the authentic winner.”
Adeleke thanked the Supreme Court justices and said President Muhammadu Buhari’s display of support for his administration after the apex court verdict despite party differences showed that he is the father and President of the entire nation.
He said his opponents might have underrated him because he is a “Dancing Senator” but he trounced them at the poll and at the courts up to the Supreme Court.
Adeleke also said he has showed the people of Osun good governance during his time in office, saying the state’s revenue has gone up, especially from mining, and other sectors.
The governor said he is not using the Adeleke’s family wealth to fund Osun State but he has been able to plug leakages and increase revenue of the government.
