Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed “hope and satisfaction” over the Appeal Court judgement on the March 18 governorship election.
Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State on Friday upheld the election of Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While two of the judges dismissed the appeal filed by PDP’s Ladi Adebutu for lacking in merit, one saw merit in the petition and thereby ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return presented to Abiodun and conduct another election in 99 polling units where elections were disrupted.
In a statement made available to DAILY POST by the PDP spokesperson in Ogun State, Akinloye Bankole, the party said, “we are particularly satisfied that the cause of true justice in reclaiming the mandate freely given to the PDP by the good people of Ogun state which is being currently held in proxy by the APC and its candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun is achievable after all.”
The PDP appreciated the fact that the appeal court “looked at the inherent merits of our petition, unlike the Election Petition Tribunal which took all the time in the world only to dwell on mere technicalities to rubbish and kill our fervent desire to rescue our darling state from the claws of the APC through a democratic electoral contest.”
The opposition party expressed gladness that the judgement of the appellate court has restored Adebutu’s hope “by resolving some technical issues contained in the tribunal judgement in our favour.”
Bankole stated: “Importantly, our words of eternal gratitude especially go to Hon. Justice Jane Inyang for her outstanding courage and uncommon boldness in delivering her minority judgment that was well articulated in clear details.
“In clear terms and without any ambiguity, Justice Inyang, in her detailed judgment, sacked Mr. Abiodun from the exalted office of the governor of Ogun State and also pronounced that his Certificate of Return be withdrawn immediately and ordered INEC to conduct a rerun election within 90 days in the affected 99 polling units where election was cancelled due to violence and election malpractices which were carried out, out of Mr Abiodun’s despicable desperation to win underserved reelection during the March 18th Governorship election.”
The PDP described as laughable a call by Gov Abiodun that Adebutu should join his government in serving the state, saying “What an insult!”
The party reminded Abiodun “that the current victory he enjoys is pyrrhic. He must, therefore, learn to drink and dance with serious caution; his joy cannot stand the test of the law as the battle continues at the highest court of our land.
“Neither Hon. Adebutu nor any sane mind would join hands” with the APC in Ogun State.
“For us, we shall continue to appreciate all members of our great party, our teeming and unrepentant supporters and indeed, the good people of Ogun for their continued support and trust in our cause as we take the battle to the highest level of judicial intervention. We must not despair; not now, not ever.”
