By Adekola Afolabi

The Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has hailed the judgment of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, which declared Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola as the winner of the July 16 Osun Guber poll.

Governor Akeredolu said the judgement reflects the will of the people of the state who voted massively for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Oyetola in the election.

According to a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, the Governor said the Tribunal judgement has again restored the hope of a common man and reinforced confidence in the judiciary.

“We received with delight, the news of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal which declared Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola as winner of the July 16 governorship election in the State.

“This is indeed a victory for democracy. No doubt, the judgment will further consolidate and deepen our country’s democratic values and Election Petitions jurisprudence. It will also sustain the faith of the people in our democratic process. The will of the people has prevailed.

“I congratulate my dearest brother, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (Ileri-Oluwa). I also rejoice with the good people of Osun State and the entire APC family. This is a victory for all.

“While we relish the victory of the moment, I like to assure my dearest brother, Gboyega that we will be with him all the way to the Supreme Court. We shall hold hands together and march on this path of shared conviction. At the end, this victory shall be permanent.

“Evidently, this ruling has put paid to issues surrounding the election. We are confident that this mandate restored will provide a new lease of life for Osun State.

“We urge our party members to savour this victory with joy while also seeing it as a great booster ahead of the forthcoming elections” the Governor added.