Don't Expect Congratulatory Message From Oyetola, Osun APC Tells Adeleke

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has told State Governor Ademola Adeleke not to expect any congratulatory message from former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, his predecessor.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had on Friday, March 24, 2023, in its judgment affirmed the election of Ademola Adeleke as governor of the state.

The judgment from the Appellate Court is coming after a previous judgment from the Osun Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal in January annulled the election of Adeleke and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to him and re-issue it to Adegboyega Oyetola.

The party made this known in a statement signed by its Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal on Tuesday in reaction to the Arise Television interview by Adeleke on Monday.

During the interview, Governor Adeleke stated that he was expecting a congratulatory message from Oyetola, the APC gubernatorial candidate, in the July 16, 2022 election.

Lawal who queried the basis for Adeleke demanding a congratulatory message from his predecessor stated that such a request was a tall order.

He also stated that there is nothing justifiable to warrant the congratulations of Adeleke by Oyetola over a subsisting election matter which is Supreme Court-bound.

The Osun APC helmsman who noted that the request for a congratulatory message by Adeleke from Oyetola sounded strange added that the demand for a congratulatory message from Oyetola was another stratagem being hatched by the PDP's tacticians in the state.

"Adeleke will have to wait till eternity for a congratulatory message from Oyetola whom he robbed in the daylight during the elections that were won for him by the militia wing of his administration.

"If congratulatory messages are being sold in an open market, it is not a hyperbolic expression to state that our candidate, Oyetola, cannot extend one to you for one Kobo.

"Why would a potential respondent in the Supreme Court in an extant matter demand a congratulatory message from an appellant if not for an ulterior motive or lack of knowledge of the workings of the judicial endeavours?

"Adeleke does not merit Oyetola's congratulatory message as it is being forcefully demanded by the governor as it is not for frivolous ventures."

Lawal revealed that the request for congratulations from Adeleke was a follow-up to the subtle pressure being put on Oyetola not to access the Supreme Court.

"There is no need for Adeleke and his co-travellers to be developing cold feet about or phobia for the Supreme Court on the subsisting Osun governorship logjam if truly there's no skeleton in their cupboards," the party concluded.