khadijah_adeola@outlook.comThe All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun says its leadership is currently studying the results of Saturday’s governorship election.
This is contained in a statement by the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, on Sunday in Osogbo.
The party said it would explore all constitutional avenues to determine its next course of action.
“We are not unaware of the fact that election is a process which begins with the registration of voters, through the primary election to the election proper, and extends to the Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and terminates at the Supreme Court.
“We commend the steadfastness, sagacity and loyalty of the numerous members and supporters of our party for their contributions in getting to this juncture in the political history of the state,” the statement said.
The statement further said that the party, founded on the principles of the rule of law, fairness and justice, would not hesitate to explore the window provided by the extant Electoral Act after consulting its team of lawyers and receiving their professional advice.
It described the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of the governorship election results as a new development in the state’s political history, adding that it would not compel the party to deviate from its commitment to the rule of law.
“As a result of the foregoing, we are imploring our ever-loyal members and supporters to remain cool and calm while they carry on with their businesses and refuse to respond to any provocative action or inaction from any members of the ruling party across the state,” he said.
The party urged its members not to despair over the current situation, assuring them that “it is not over until it is over.”
It also appealed to the Nigeria Police Force to intervene and protect APC members and supporters who, he alleged, were being needlessly molested by members of the ruling party.
“The current situation in the political history of the state is a passing phase which will soon become part of history, as justice shall be done accordingly,” the statement said.
INEC, in the early hours of Sunday, declared Adeleke the winner after polling 511,067 votes to defeat his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 444,815 votes.
The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, who declared the results at the INEC collation centre, said the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salaam, came a distant third with 17,180 votes.
Ogunwole, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, said the total valid votes cast were 985,079, while 20,721 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 1,005,800.