Osun election: Why Oyetola is yet to concede defeat, congratulate Adeleke

Indications have emerged on the real reason Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola is yet to congratulate Ademola Adeleke, winner of the just-concluded governorship election in the state.

IDOMA VOICE has reported that Adeleke floored Oyetola at the polls held on Saturday.

The PDP candidate won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Osun State governorship election.

APC candidate Oyetola won in the remaining 13 LGAs, according to results announced by INEC on Sunday morning.

In total Oyetola of the APC polled 375,027 votes while Adeleke of the PDP claimed 403,371 votes.

President Muhammadu Buhari and other prominent Nigerians have congratulated the PDP candidate on his victory, however, Oyetola is yet to concede defeat.

Giving reason for the governor’s loud silence, a member of Oyetola’s legal team, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), said they were still reviewing the results declared by INEC.

He told Punch, “We are still reviewing documents and the legal team is actually working. In an election of this nature, the documents will be so many; so it is important to look at them critically before we make a decision and that is exactly what we are working on right now.

“Dr Biodun Layonu (SAN), is the leader of the team. The legal team is not complete yet because there are so many others that will still come in.

“In the meantime, the two members of the legal team we can reveal are Dr Biodum Layonu and Kunle Adegoke. Others that may come in are people we may not know but as soon as we are ready to move, we will notify the press.
“The membership can’t be determined as many lawyers are interested in joining the team. You know election petition is a special case. So, we allow as many lawyers that are interested to come in. We may run into 50 or more members.”

Commenting on moves by the governor to contest the poll outcome at the election petition tribunal, the Media Adviser to the APC chairman in Osun State, Kola Olabisi, said whatever position was taken by Oyetola on the outcome of the election would also be the stand of the party. Olabisi disclosed this while speaking with The PUNCH on Tuesday.

He said, “I have not read what you said the governor had said but the posture of the party can not be different from what the governor had said.”

Asked what the governor’s legal team studying the election results had discovered, Olabisi simply said, “It is the legal team that is competent to speak on whatever has been discovered.”