Osun State governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, vowed not to take the trust of the masses in the state for granted.
This came on a day the Court of Appeal, sitting in Akure, ruled in favour of Senator Adeleke as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state during its primary.
In its reaction, the PDP expressed delight over the judgment, saying it is a firm confirmation that the governorship primary was transparent.
Adeleke won the governorship election, held across the state, on Saturday, polling 403,371 votes to defeat the incumbent Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who got 375,027 votes.
Speaking while receiving his Certificate of Return from INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner, Professor Kunle Ajayi, at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, office in Osogbo, the governor-elect said the state would be placed on a new path of progress.
The Governor-elect and his deputy received their certificate of return at exactly 11:25 am at the commission’s office.
Adeleke said: “This victory could not have been possible but for the courage of the good people of Osun state, who worked hard to make sure we reclaimed our stolen mandate. I am overwhelmed by your love and support and I will not take this trust you have bestowed on me for granted.
“Our state has now turned to a new page and we can now look forward to a bright future and a path for progress and prosperity for our people.
“I dedicate my victory to my late brother, the first executive governor of the state, Isiaka Adeleke and every indigene of Osun state and all my supporters, friends and families.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Resident Electoral Commission, REC, Professor AbdulGaniy Raji charged politicians to always redeem their electioneering campaign to strengthen the principle of democracy in the country.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, ruled in favour of Senator Adeleke as the candidate of the PDP in Osun State in the party’s last primary.
A PDP governorship aspirant, Mr Dotun Babayemi, who contested in the primary, went to court to challenge the validity of the primary conducted by the national leadership that produced Sen Adeleke as the party’s candidate.
The PDP, on March 8, conducted two parallel governorship primaries which eventually produced Adeleke and Babayemi.
Adeleke emerged at the party’s primary held at the Osogbo City Stadium, under the supervision of Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo
Babayemi also won the primary held at the Children and Women Development Centre in Osogbo.
Not satisfied with the recognition of Adeleke as the party’s flagbearer, Babayemi approached the Federal High Court in Osogbo where he asked the court to declare him as the valid governorship candidate of the party.
However, Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, in his judgment, affirmed Adeleke as the validly-elected governorship candidate of the party.
Babayemi, again filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Akure, to challenge the judgment of the lower court and sought to be declared as the PDP governorship candidate.