Osun Election: You’re An Interim Governor, Lacking Legitimacy – PDP Tells Oyetola

Agency ReporterNovember 28, 2018

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The Osun State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has carpeted the newly sworn-in governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, describing him as an interim government whose legitimacy is questionable in the eyes of the public.

The chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo, stated this, on Tuesday, in Osogbo, the state capital, in a release he issued on the occasion of the swearing in ceremony of Oyetola which took place.

Oyetola took over the baton of leadership from Rauf Aregbesola who had been in the saddle since eight years ago with effect from November 27, 2010.

The PDP claimed that the process that led to Oyetola’s declaration as the winner of the Osun governorship election by INEC, “was riddled with the most brazen form of electoral robbery ever witnessed since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria.”

According to the party, “The shameful conduct of the supposed electoral umpire and security agents, especially during the supplementary election held on the 27th of September leaves a sour taste in the mouths of everyone with conscience and has remained a talking point in local and global political discourse.”

“What further makes the legitimacy of the man being sworn in as governor stand on a shaky ground are the myriads of damming reports issued by a combination of local and foreign observers, the Nigeria Bar Association, the US, UK and EU missions and several others who witnessed the horrendous brutalisation of voters, harassment of journalists, open display of bias by electoral and security officials as well as other infractions committed against the people of Osun state during the so-called supplementary election.”

The party said while the court of public opinion had decided on who truly won the election, there was hope that the court of law would soon do justice on the matter and restore the mandate to the PDP’s candidate, Ademola Adeleke.

Adagunodo, however, advised Oyetola to “tread very cautiously and act responsibly while he temporarily presides over the affairs of the state in order to avoid worsening the already battered condition of the economy occasioned by the wide spread corruption and profligacy of the Aregbesola administration.”