Oyetola Vs Adeleke: APC, PDP Supporters Go Spiritual As Supreme Court Delivers Judgement Today

As Ruling Party PDP and All progressive Party APC in Osun state continued trading words ahead of tomorrow (Tuesday) supreme court judgement, the supporters of the duo were in high spirit that they will get a favorable judgement.

The Supreme Court had on Monday fixed Tuesday, May 9, to deliver a make or mar judgment in the disputed July 16 governorship election in Osun State.

The apex court fixed the 24-hour period for the judgment delivery after taking arguments from parties involved in the matter.

At the centre of the disputed election is the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who stood for the poll on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Adegboyega Oyetola who was the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate.

However, while Oyetola is the appellant in the Supreme Court matter, having lost at the Court of Appeal, Adeleke is the major respondent who won the Court of Appeal decision.

The Supreme Court will deliver the final verdict by 2 pm on May 9.

At the Monday’s proceedings, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN argued for the APC.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had on Friday, March 24, vacated the tribunal judgment that nullified the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, held that the appeal Adeleke lodged to challenge his sack by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was meritorious.

Aside from setting aside the judgment of the tribunal, the court, in its lead judgment that was delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal, awarded N500,000 cost against the All Progressive Congress, APC, and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.

Our Correspondent who monitored the situation of things across the state immediately after the Supreme Court sitting on Monday observed that there were exienty in the camp of both the ruling PDP and APC on what’s likely to be the outcome of judgement.

–PDP, APC Supporters Go Spiritual

Our correspondent learnt that ,the supporter of immediate past Governor Gboyega Oyetola organised prayers asking God to give them favourable judgement at Apex Court and restore their mandate to them.

Similarly, supporters of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had also embarked on marathon prayer session to seek God’s face on the matter.

Members of a sociopolitical group, Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation (AGF), had gathered at BCGA area Osogbo, in their numbers to organized a special prayer for the victory of the immediate past Governor, Gboyega Oyetola in Tuesday supreme court judgement.

Speaking, the Coordinator of the Group in the state, Hon Sikiru Tijani said the exercise is necessary for the party after because they believe in efficacy of prayer.

Tijani who told our Correspondent that he has also instructed his members to have a one day fasting said he was optimistic that “the stolen mandate will be retrieved”

“I believe in the efficacy of prayers and that there are no challenges that are greater than the powers of prayers.

“I have instructed all out members not to treat the fasting and prayers session with levity. I am convinced that God will perform wonders through the collective prayers of members and other members of our party, APC” he said.

However, hundreds of supporters of the Governor, Ademola Adeleke had also deemed it necessary to seek for God’s intervention in the disputed Governorship election, expressing optimism that God in his grace will not allow “the People’s mandate be stolen.”

On a group which was mainly created for Governor Adeleke named “Prayer for Adeleke on Supreme Court” over two hundred members of the group had embarked on prayer session for the purpose of seeking God’s interference on tomorrow’s supreme court verdict.

Members of the group majority who are Muslims and Christians prayed fervently to God to give them favourable judgement.

The prayer warriors who voluntarily joined the group some second after it was created hanged their belief on the love and general acceptability of the Governor by the people of the state.

They said the love and acceptance of the party since Adeleke took over the mantle of power and his unprecedented performances in various infrastructures vis-a-vis prompt payment of workers and pensioners salaries endeared him to the people of the state.

–APC Accuses Adeleke Of Planned Importation Of Hoodlums After Verdict

The Osun APC in a statement by its acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal on yesterday alleged that the PDP in Osun had perfected an arrangement to hire political hoodlums to besiege the Supreme Court.

The Chairman in a statement signed by the party spokesperson, Chief Kola Adebisi said that Osun APC reliably gathered that the state chapter of the PDP had perfected an arrangement to hire fifty 18-seater buses to convey political hoodlums to Abuja to besiege the Supreme Court to give a false impression of the acceptability and popularity of the embattled Governor Ademola Adeleke in the state.

“Information has it that material and financial logistics to aid the shady and obnoxious assignment have been deployed to those who are involved.

“It was also learnt that each of the local government chapters of the PDP in the state has also been tasked by the leadership of the party in the state to engage in show-of-strength protest across Osun while those in Abuja will be creating needless scenes of shame at the Supreme Court.”

Describing the leaked plan of the PDP as ridiculous, and undiplomatic, Osun APC enjoined the Osun Commissioner of Police and the heads of other security agencies in the state to quickly investigate the development, arrest and prosecute those planning to disrupt the socio-political peace in the state.

Reacting, the Osun PDP dismissed the APC’s claims describing them as hallucinations.

In a statement by the Osun PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, the party called on the APC to act responsibly by stopping deceit which it said accounted for its defeat in recent several elections in Osun State.

The PDP affirmed that it has faith in the integrity of the apex court, saying, “Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has attributed recent lies and falsehood spewing from the state APC as a consequence of extreme hallucinations arising from the advanced stage of depression within the APC leadership.

“We have an unshaken belief that the Lord justices will reaffirm the foolproof judgement of the Court of Appeal. Osun people, Governor Adeleke and the PDP will laugh last and give all praises to our God of justice,” the statement concluded