28032019 - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP:All clear for Lawan; fresh crisis brews over Gbaja

Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 — 11
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MINISTERS' SUMMIT: From left; Apostle Alexander, Chairman, Christian Association
of Nigeria, CAN, Lagos State; Pastor W.F Kumuyi, General Superintendent, Deeper
Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) and Bishop Olusola Ore, Chairman, CPFN/PFN Bloc
and Chairman, Lagos State Pilgrim Welfare Board during the first edition of the Ministers'
Development and Networking Summit under the aegis of DLCM, CAN and PFN with
the theme 'Building the Builders held in Lagos. Photos: Joe Akintola, Photo Editor.
Osun residents protest tribunal judgment,
demand justice from Appeal Court
•They’re paid demonstrators — Adeleke Campaign
By Gbenga Olarinoye
O
S O G B O —
SCORES of
residents of Osun State,
yesterday, staged a
peaceful protest along the
major streets in Osogbo
against the judgment
given by the Election
Petition Tribunal sitting in
Abuja last week Friday
which declared the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP,
candidate in the September
22, 2018 governorship
election, Senator Ademola
Adeleke, the winner.
The protesters, majority of
whom were youths, mostly
students from higher
institutions and prodemocracy
activists
stormed Osogbo, the
capital of Osun State in
their numbers and caused
traffic gridlock within the
major roads.
Armed with placards with
various inscriptions such as
Oyetola remains our
Governor, We voted for
Governor Oyetola, We
cannot be intimidated,
among others, the
demonstrators vowed not to
rest until true justice is done
in the final determination
of all appellate
proceedings.
Speaking with journalists
after the protest, General
Secretary, Osun
Concerned Citizens, Yaya
Ademola said the protest
becomes imperative
following what they
observed as lacuna in the
ruling of Election Petition
Tribunal which declared
Senator Ademola Adeleke
of PDP the authentic
winner of the September 22,
2018 governorship
election.
Ademola said: “The said
verdict, which is a split
decision by which a
majority of two of the threemember
panel, purportedly
declared Mr. Ademola
Adeleke of PDP as winner
of the September, 22 and
29, 2018 governorship
election is clearly
unacceptable to us and the
overwhelming majority of
the people of Osun in
general and the electorate
in particular.
“Our concern in this
matter is not just a partisan
disavowal of a judgment
that is unfavourable to our
preferred candidate, Mr.
Isiaka Gbeyega Oyetola of
APC. Our rejection of the
said verdict is borne out of
the clear fact that it is a
thinly disguised attempt at
clothing the product of a
black-market judicial heist
with the garb of legality in
the hope that it may acquire
legitimacy.
''Though a proper legal
response to this unjust
verdict has been entered at
the Court of Appeal, we
hasten to say that the basis
with which the majority
judgment was made is
strange and baseless.
“We are concerned and
indeed alarmed that rather
than adjudicate in
accordance with the
applicable provisions of the
Electoral Act that
emphasises substantial
compliance or lack of it or
want of it as the basis for
proving the validity or
otherwise of the election of
a candidate, the majority
decision of the Tribunal
arbitrarily pitched its tent
with the formal irregularity
of the failure of INEC to fill
certain columns of the result
sheets even when they do
not affect the number of
votes scored by candidates!
This amounts to a
disingenuous working to a
predetermined answer.
“Under civil rule,
electorate's votes determine
who governs the state and
it is by simple majority.
Election tribunal cannot
substitute itself for the
electorate role vis-a-vis
voting.
“Osun Concerned
Citizens stand for democracy
and justice. We firmly
believe that the electorate in
Osun had spoken and the
attempt by the majority
decision to turn the Tribunal
into a ’Selectotate’ shall be
resisted.
“We shall not rest until true
Justice is done in the final
determination of all
appellate proceedings.
“No to Jankara justice.
Osun electorates have
spoken through their
majority vote!! Attempts to
obstruct our votes shall be
vehemently resisted.”
‘They’re paid
demonstrators'
In its reaction, the Adeleke
Campaign Organisation
described the group as paid
demonstrators.
Speaking through its
Director of Media, Rasheed
Olawale, the organisation
affirmed “that the court
judgement restoring
Senator Ademola Adeleke’s
mandate is valid and lawful
in law as it flows from
evidence and cross
examinations throughout
the duration of the hearing,”
noting that “the usurpers
are jittery and desperate
over the restoration of
people’s mandate.
“We note with confidence
in God and people that the
judgement is God given
based on truth and
Cross section of worshippers at the summit.
dispassionate interpretation
of the law and the
constitution. We affirm that
the judgment restored the
will of the people as
expressed on September 22,
2018.
“The mobilisation of
exploited O-Yes members to
rally against a judgment that
sets Osun people free from
slave holders is a cowardly
attempt to hoodwink the
people.
“We note that that there is
nothing within the
judgment that is not covered
by law and the constitution.
The ruling to nullify the
rerun, the cancellation of
results of some polling units
and the declaration of
Ademola Adleke as the
winner are all provided for
by provisions of INEC
electoral guidelines,
Electoral Act, the
constitution of the Federal
Republic and extant
judgements of various courts
in the land.''
By Johnbosco
Agbakwuru
A
B U J A —
PRESIDENT
Muhammadu Buhari,
yesterday, felicitated with
the National Leader of All
Progressives Congress,
APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
on his 67th birthday.
President Buhari, in a
statement by his Special
Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Chief Femi
Adesina, described Tinubu
as one of the strong pillars
of Nigeria’s democracy.
In the statement, the
President said he joined the
APC family in celebrating
the Asiwaju of Lagos for his
selflessness in serving his
country, and making life
better for many.
He also affirmed that
''Asiwaju’s uncompromising
posture in the face of
injustice and refusal to
follow the path of least
resistance for personal
gains stand him out today
as a rare breed and one of
the cornerstones of
Nigeria’s democracy,
especially with his track
record of persistence,
consistency and effective
leadership.''
As the father of modern
Lagos State, Buhari
commended what he
described as “the visionary
and inclusive leadership
style that Asiwaju provided
for the commercial nerve
centre of Nigeria for eight
years, laying the foundation
for a modern and
technologically driven city,
and ensuring that every
successive leader in the
state sticks with the master
plan of a greater Lagos.”
The President prayed that
God will grant him longer
life, good health and more
wisdom to keep serving the
country he loves so much.
INEC presents certificate of return to Makinde,
Olaniyan, others
By Ola Ajayi
I Independent
BADAN—THE
National Electoral
Commission, INEC,
yesterday, presented
Certificates of Return to the
Oyo State governor elect,
Engr Seyi Makinde, his
deputy, Engr Rauf
Olaniyan and the 32
legislators who contested
for seats to the Oyo State
Buhari felicitates with
Tinubu at 67
OYO N30BN CONTRACT: My comments not
against Ajimobi — MAKINDE
By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—OYO State
Governor-elect, Mr
Seyi Makinde has said
that his recent comments
on the fresh contracts
being awarded by the
state government was
not meant to attack the
personality of the
incumbent governor,
Abiola Ajimobi.
Instead, he clarified
that his comments were
borne out of the future
and survival of the state.
He said this through
his Director of Media,
Prince Dotun Oyelade in
a statement.
Makinde said he
accorded Ajimobi due
respect not only as
Governor but as his senior.
The statement reads:
“But governance being a
serious business, he,
Makinde cannot look on
while direct instructions
are given to local
government councils to
House of Assembly.
The event attracted
several politicians who had
been politically passive in
the state for eight years.
The occasion was also
attended by traditional
rulers, security chiefs and
thousands of supporters of
the Peoples Democratic
Party in the state.
At the event were the
wives of former governors
of Oyo and Ekiti States,
Mrs Mutiat Ladoja and
spend all monies in their
care including Stabilisation
Accounts which are
traditionally reserved for
emergencies and natural
disasters even when there
are no cases of emergency
anywhere in the state.”
Makinde had raised his
concerns about how
contracts were allegedly
being awarded at the
twilight of the APC
administration in the state.
He promised to beam a
searchlight on the award of
the contracts.
Feyisetan Fayose, Mr
Azeem Gbolarumi, former
governor of Oyo, former
Minister of Power and
Steel, Elder Wole Oyelese,
former Speaker, Oyo
House of Assembly, Mr
Kehinde Ayoola, former
Special Adviser on
Communication and
Strategy, Prince Dotun
Oyelade, Senator
Monsurat Sunmonu,
former Speaker, Oyo State
House of Assembly and
many others.