๐งribunal ๐ฉerdict: ๐isheartening, ๐งhreat to ๐emocracy
The judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal that struck out our petition challenging the outcome of the March 18, 2023, Governorship election in Ogun State is disheartening and a big threat to democracy. This judgment which was based solely on hilarious technicalities failed to consider the substantial merits and evidence tendered during the trial.
We firmly believe in the principles of democracy, transparency, and the rule of law. It is with these principles in mind that we entered into the legal process to seek justice for the people of Ogun State whose mandate was stolen. Our commitment to this course remains unwavering, and ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ ๐ช๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐.
Regrettably, the ๐๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐จ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐. We submitted substantial evidence that raised serious questions about the conduct of the election, even marked ballot papers and we are confident that a closer examination of this evidence would have revealed the true nature of the irregularities and discrepancies that occurred during the election.
In the course of the trial, ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฃ-๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐ซ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ’ ๐๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง 49,000 ๐ซ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ which is higher than the margin of lead of 13,915 as โpurportedlyโ declared by INEC; the ballot boxes snatching, over voting among many other electoral malpractices perpetuated by Mr Dapo Abiodun and his party, APC.
We obtained duly Certified True Copies of documents from the electoral umpire, INEC, and paid for with official receipts to back our claims which proved all the content of our petition and justified our concerns over the election.
We condemn unequivocally the judgement of the tribunal, consequently, ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ก. We will not relent until due Justice is served.
With what was displayed at the tribunal on Saturday 30th, September 2023, ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ง๐๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐ก๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ค๐ฃ ๐ข๐๐ฃ who may seek redress through the court shortly if not curtailed.
Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu assures the good people of Ogun State that we will not be deterred by this setback. We will continue to fight for the rights and aspirations of our supporters and the citizens of our dear State. Our determination to see justice served will not be shaken by this judgment, and we will take this matter to the appellate courts to seek a more equitable and just outcome.
We extend our gratitude to our supporters across the State and beyond, who have shown immense resilience and unwavering faith in our cause. We urge them to remain steadfast as we continue this legal battle. We believe that the truth will ultimately prevail, and the will of the people will be acknowledged.
๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ ๐๐จ๐ช๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐, ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ฎ, ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง ๐ผ๐๐๐ข๐ค๐ก๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐, ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ช๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฉ.
We call on all well-meaning citizens and stakeholders in Ogun State to join us in our unrelenting quest for justice and in upholding the principles of democracy. The fight for a better Ogun State continues, and we remain committed to our vision of a brighter future for our beloved State.
To the good people of Ogun State and our teeming party members, we salute your courage, steadfastness and unwavering support for Hon (Dr) Oladipupo Adebutu and our great party, PDP. We urge you not to be deterred by the pronouncement of the tribunal. ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐ that you have freely given to us.
Again, we will not retard in seeking desired justice for the people of Ogun State whose mandate was hijacked by the enemies of democracy and due process. As much as you are aware, this set of individuals did everything possible to ensure the PDP and Adebutu were not on the ballot before the election but we came out victorious.
๐๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ.
Thank you all, โITURA DE TANโ
Signed
๐๐๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ข ๐๐ซ๐๐ค๐จ๐ฒ๐
๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ช๐ฉ๐ช ๐พ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ
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