Aregbesola and Oyinlola
An air of apprehension has pervaded the political circle in Osun State, following an announcement that the Court of Appeal in Ibadan will deliver its judgment in a governorship petition filed by Action Congress of Nigeria candidate, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, against Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
The appellate court had through notices of hearing to the lawyers to Aregbesola and Oyinlola on Thursday, announced that its judgment in the case was ready for delivery.
Aregbesola is challenging Oyinlola’s victory in 10 out of the 30 local government areas of the state, which included Ife-Central, Ife-East, Ife-South, Odo-Otin, Isokan, Boluwaduro, Boripe, Atakumosa-West, Ifedayo and Ayedaade.
The notice of hearing signed by a senior registrar of the court reads in part, “Take notice that the above-mentioned judgment has been adjourned and listed for hearing before the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, sitting at Quarters 749, Ademola road, Reservation, Iyangaku, on Friday, 26 November at 9 o’clock in the forenoon.”
Lawyer to Aregbesola, Mr. Ajibola Bashiru, said, “With the proper application of the law to the loads of evidence we have put forward, we have shown that no proper election took place in 10 local governments of the state.
“If the votes of the 10 local government councils are deducted from the votes of Aregbesola and Oyinlola, Aregbesola will have majority of lawful votes and also satisfy the requirement of Section 179(2) of the 1999 Constitution by winning one-quarter of the votes in the remaining 20 councils. Fayemi v Oni and Ogboru v Uduaghan are recent test cases that support our position.”
But the spokesperson for Osun PDP, Mr. Adeolu Adeyemo, on Thursday, said the party was confident of victory, adding that, “The Osun PDP has a good case and we are sure that at the end of the day, we will be vindicated.
“The ACN has no case and they know it from the outset but they are just making a noise. Tomorrow is the D-Day when the winner will be separated from the loser.”
Commenting on the development, the Press Secretary to Oyinlola, Mr. Kayode Oladeji, debunked the insinuation that the governor had gone to Abuja to lobby for a favourable judgment.
He said, “There is a National Executive Council meeting in Abuja. This meeting involves all governors and Governor Oyinlola is on an official assignment to Abuja. How can anyone say he has packed out of Government House? Rumour mongering is the style of the ACN and this is what they know how to do best.
“Last time when judgment was delivered, the governor was in his office working. During the earlier judgment, the governor was in Ada town performing an official function. The case has been laid before the judges and we leave everything to God. We have no cause to fear.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com
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