PDP hails verdict, says it’s triumph of people’s will

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the verdict of the Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal, which upheld the victory of its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

It described the judgment as a victory for democracy and triumph of the will of the people.

The main opposition party said the judgment was a clear indicator that those who set out to destroy the nation’s democracy can never triumph, and that no matter how evil and injustice appear to thrive, the truth must always prevail at the end of the day.

In a statement issued by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the party said Nigerians have accepted democracy as a way of life and a form of government that suits the multi-plurality of the nation.

The statement said: “The spontaneous jubilation that greeted this judgment is therefore a direct indication that it is in consonant with the wishes and aspiration of Nigerians across the board.

“For those who have been desperate to destroy our democracy, this judgment has proven to them that their shenanigans will always come to no avail.

“The PDP commends the judiciary for standing upright in the defence of democracy and for ensuring that those involved in the rapacious desecration of our democratic norms will never succeed.

“This verdict, which reverberates across our nation, points to the fact that the truth will always  prevail and that our party, the PDP, will recover all our stolen mandates in the 2019 general elections, particularly the Presidential mandate, which Nigerians freely gave to our candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

“Furthermore, all our candidates who have already won their elections, but whose victories are being manipulated by anti-democratic forces, must take solace in the words of the Osun election petition panel, that once valid votes have been declared and a winner emerges by majority of votes, a rerun is illegal.

“The PDP congratulates Senator Adeleke, the good people of Osun State as well as all lovers of democracy across our country for the triumph of justice over impunity, abuse of electoral processes and unfettered political rascality.”

Judiciary defender of democracy -Atiku

Applauding the judgment yesterday, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the just concluded elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, described the judiciary a true defender of democracy.

In a statement issued by his media adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, the former Vice President noted that the restoration of the mandate of Senator Adeleke showed that the judiciary is indeed the last refuge of the common man and that in truth, those who were aggrieved and resolved to maintain the peace have been vindicated.

Atiku congratulated Senator Adeleke, the PDP and men and women of goodwill in Osun State, who he said did not waver in their commitment to retrieve the “stolen mandate”.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy has come for the people of Osun,” he said.

According to him, the decision of the judiciary in the Osun governorship election was phenomenal in view of the culture of inconclusive elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in this season.

“The judgment has rekindled hope and confidence that those whose mandate had been tampered with or denied can look forward to justice being done to them,” Atiku said.