Osun 2022: Aregbesola’s Man Heads to Court, Makes Important Request
- The game gets harder by the day as who eventually emerges victorious in the Osun governorship poll would be termed favoured by the people
- The outcome of the just concluded primaries in the state was not satisfactory by Aregbesola's anointed candidate, in so doing he has decided to challenge the result in court, requesting to be declared winner of the poll
- Meanwhile, the exercise which was termed free, fair and transparent, has become a model for other states in the next general elections
The battle for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has shifted to the court.
Moshood Adeoti, who lost to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in the primary election at the weekend, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to declare him the winner of the poll, The Nation reports.
In the direct primary conducted by a committee, chaired by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasak of Kwara state, Oyetola polled 222,169 votes to beat Adeoti, who scored 12, 921 votes and former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, who got 460 votes.
Source: Facebook
Adeoti was supported by the minister of interior and former Osun state Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
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Supporters of the plaintiff had previously challenged the outcome of the ward and local government congresses in court at Osogbo and Ikire. The cases were dismissed.
Many stakeholders have lauded Governor AbdulRasak for conducting a free, fair and transparent exercise.
Before the commencement of the poll, he allowed the aspirants to crosscheck the party membership register to allay any fear of exclusion of their supporters from the register and from voting.
The exercise
The voting, sorting, counting and poll announcement was also transparent.
Civil society groups who monitored the exercise urged other parties and states to learn from the Osun experience.
Adeoti's request
But Adeoti prayed the court for a declaration that he was the validly nominated candidate.
Adeoti further prayed the court to declare that Oyetola was not qualified to contest under the party’s constitution, because he is an officer of the party.
He also sought, among others, an order directing the APC to forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the validly nominated candidate, rather than Oyetola.
Adeoti, the plaintiff, made the prayers in his originating summons in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/203 filed through his counsel, Chiesonu Okpoko, SAN.
The APC, Oyetola and INEC, who are the 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, are yet to file a reply.
Osun 2022: Aregbesola's hometown's monarch backs Oyetola
In a similar development, the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Aromolaran, has openly declared his support for the re-election of Oyetola as the governor of Osun state for a second term.
The monarch said the entire Ijesa people are behind Governor Oyetola's second term bid. Oba Aromolaran made the remarks when the Osun state governor visited his palace during a strategic engagement tour to Ijesa-South Federal Constituency on Wednesday, February 16.
Meanwhile, Oba Aromolaran who is the traditional ruler of the hometown of Aregbesola said whoever he pronounces as governor will become one, saying it is a divine gift.
Source: Legit.ng
