OYO GOVERNORSHIP TUSSLE: Boisterous Adelabu heads to Supreme Court, says ‘I have a date with history’

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Bayo Adelabu, on Wednesday expressed optimism about his chances of overturning the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde in the March 9 governorship election at the Supreme Court.

The APC candidate had decided to approach the Supreme Court after the Appeal Court declined to rule on his petition against Governor Makinde.

The Appeal Court had on Saturday ruled that Adelabu’s appeal against the decision of the state governorship election tribunal to dismiss his petition against Makinde “subsists.”

The appellate court said in its judgment that the tribunal’s ruling was perversed and set aside the lower court’s verdict.

However, the panel did not make further pronouncement on the election and neither did it sack the governor nor ordered a fresh poll.

The ex-banker, who on Wednesday morning reacted to the court’s ruling on his verified Facebook account, told those who cared to listen that he has a date with history as he heads for the Supreme Court.

He wrote: “When our great party, the All Progressives Congress presented me as her candidate in the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State, we never wavered in our conviction that the good people of the state knew that I was the best candidate among the lots that came out to seek their mandate.

“But we never took this for granted as we worked tirelessly round the clock to showcase our blueprint to turn the fortunes of our dear state around for the better.

“It is on record that we ran the most organised and issue-driven campaign and our people, having been convinced of our ability to walk the talk freely gave me their mandate in the election.

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“However, the agents of darkness perfected the plan to steal this mandate, hence our recourse to the judiciary to proof their wrongdoing.

“The lower tribunal, which concerned itself with technicalities rather with the substance of our argument ruled otherwise.

“Now that the Appeal Court has set the tone of righting the wrong, I appeal to the good people of Oyo State to hold the peace and go about their lawful activities as we approach the Supreme Court to validate your victory.

“After the darkness, no matter how long it takes, comes sunshine. Victory is certain for us and the mass of the people of our state.”

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