S'COURT VERDICT: AKINLOSOTU HAILS AIYEDATIWA, ADELAMI, APC, ONDO PEOPLE OVER VICTORY

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S’COURT VERDICT: AKINLOSOTU HAILS AIYEDATIWA, ADELAMI, APC, ONDO PEOPLE OVER VICTORY

* Says people’s mandate can’t be stolen through backdoor

The immediate past Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Otunba Wale Akinlosotu, has hailed the governor, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, Dr. Olayide Owolabi Adelami, mni, the All Progressives Congress, and the people of Ondo State over the Supreme Court judgment in a legitimacy suit filed against the governor.

The candidate of People’s Democratic Party in the November 16, 2024 election in the state, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, and PDP had in the suit sought nullification of the election of the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami over allegations of discrepancies in his name change, and as well challenged the legitimacy of Governor Aiyedatiwa and the APC.

Ajayi has, in the case, claimed that Adelami, who previously had “Jackson” as his middle name while in secondary school, had changed it to “Owolabi” without proper documentation.

But the Supreme Court, in its judgment said that the defendants lacked the legal standing to pursue the case which rendered the appeal unsustainable, dismissed the matter and ordered Ajayi to pay ₦2 million in costs to each of the four respondents.

Akinlosotu, who described the suit that was heard at the high court, appeal court, and finally at the Supreme Court as “an attempt by Hon. Agboola Ajayi and the PDP to rob the people of Ondo State of the mandate they freely gave to their choice candidate, Aiyedatiwa, on November 16, 2024 through the back door”.

The former commissioner said in a statement in Akure on Tuesday, “They (Ajayi and PDP) thought they could get what they could not achieve during election through the law court. With this judgment, the Supreme Court has shown clearly that people’s mandate can not be stolen through the back door. The Nigerian Judiciary is not Father Christmas. The people of Ondo State had spoken with their votes, you can not reverse it with what is not there.

“When does name change, and even a properly documented one in this case, constitute electoral fraud that you are seeking disqualification on that basis, which amounts to an attempt to rob the people of Ondo State the mandate they freely gave.

“I congratulate the governor and his deputy for this victory. I congratulate the people of Ondo State because this means they will continue to enjoy the lofty plans of the governor as contained in the ‘OUR EASE’ development agenda, which he had started delivering immediately on being sworn in last month”.

Akinlosotu said, “The protracted legal battle could have been distraction to the governor and the state government, but for Dr Aiyedatiwa’s focus and commitment to ensuring the land and its people get the best every minute.

“With the judgment, what has come into play is the triumph of truth over falsehood and victory for democracy and rule of law,” the former commissioner said.