Osun Guber: Youths Throng Osogbo To Condemn Outcome, Commend Electorate

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

No fewer than 40,000 youths were on Tuesday thronged the street of Osogbo, the Osun state capital to expressed their displeasure over the outcome of the September 22 governorship election which was concluded on Thursday September 27.

The youths under the aegis of Ademola Adeleke Youth Empowerment Scheme (A-YES) said they also held the street possession so as to express their appreciation to the people of the state who voted for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ademola Adeleke in the face of harassment and intimidation by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The peaceful protest according to the youths started from the PDP secretariat and terminated at the popular Oja-Oba market in the metropolis.

Speaking with newsmen, one of the coordinators of the A-YES, Mr Adewumi Isaac said, though, they were not really happy about the outcome of the election they were impressed by the large turn out of the electorate who deemed it necessary to cast their vote for Adeleke.

Isaac further explained that , the A-YES aptly rejected the results of the poll, saying it failed to reflect the actual voting pattern of the electorate.

He justified his claim by citing allegations of intimidation, oppression and inducement by security agents which he said aided and abetted manipulation of the electoral process, especially during the last supplementary election

He described the alleged manipulation of the poll as “most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history”, which he said “shall not stand.”

According to him, ” we are on the street today to express our appreciation to the people of the state, especially the electorate who had deemed it necessary to cast their vote for Ademola Adeleke, the PDP candidate, even in the face of oppressors.

“The electoral process subverts the will of Osun people, and viciously steals the mandate willingly and freely gave to Ademola Adeleke, and we are not happy about this, but we still need to express our appreciation to the people.

He therefore enjoined the people of the state, especially the youths, to remain calm, saying their mandate would soon be retrieved.

In his reaction, the PDP Chairman, Soji Adagunodo, said the procession was an indication that people of the state were dissatisfied with the outcome of the election result.

Adagunodo, who commended the people for conducting themselves peacefully described the outcome of the election as “a daylight robbery, a brazen subversion of the will of the people and direct assault on democracy.”

Adagunodo added that judging from the results from the polling centres across the state, it was obvious Adeleke won with a “comfortable margin.”