The flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the August 9, 2014 gov¬ernorship election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omi¬sore, has declared that he would retrieve the mandate given to him by the people of the state but allegedly stolen by the All Progres¬sives Congress (APC) can¬didate, Rauf Aregbesola, through legal means.
He also expressed con¬fidence that he would be sworn in as the governor of the state before the end of the year, saying “because I believe in the integrity of the judiciary to retrieve my sto¬len mandate, I am sure I will be the governor soon.”
The Independent Na¬tional Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Gover¬nor Aregbesola winner of the election, having obtained the lawful majority votes in 22 of the 30 local government areas of the state.
Fielding questions from journalists shortly after the inaugural sitting of the elec¬tion petition tribunal at the premises of Osun State High Court yesterday, Senator Omisore contended that with the avalanche of evidence available to the PDP and his legal team, the public would be stunned with facts and figures on how the governor¬ship election was allegedly rigged.
Omisore, who arrived the court premises few minutes to 9 a.m. in company with the state PDP chairman, Al-haji Ganiyu Olaoluwa, and other stalwarts of the party said: “I believe in the abil¬ity and unshaken integrity of the judiciary to retrieve my stolen mandate, which was freely and collectively given by the electorate in Osun during the August 9 gover¬norship poll.
“The PDP is here to chal¬lenge the result of the rigged election. We have come to expose the massive rigging, electoral malpractices, bal¬lot stuffing and other vices that characterised the poll. This would further show the people that APC has no place in Osun.”
On what informed his confidence in the judiciary to upturn Aregbesola’s victory, Omisore emphasised that “even in the declaration of the result on August 10, the returning officer cancelled some elections in Ejigbo Lo¬cal Government Area due to stuffing of ballot boxes.
That was the pattern cre¬ated across the board and we have caught them, trying to perfect their papers.”
Source: Sun
