By Adeyemi Adekunle
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning to Governor Ademola Adeleke, urging him to refrain from making statements that undermine the judiciary, following his recent claim of winning the 2018 governorship election in the state.
In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, the APC described Adeleke’s remarks as unnecessary and disrespectful to the judiciary, which ruled on the matter through the Supreme Court.
The opposition party accused the governor of publicly casting doubt on the integrity of a judicial process that declared former governor Gboyega Oyetola, now the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, as the rightful winner of the 2018 poll.
Kola Olabisi, the APC’s Director of Media and Information, emphasized that Adeleke’s comments amount to an attack on the nation’s judiciary and questioned the consistency of the governor’s stance.
“Senator Adeleke should be reminded that a governorship election in Nigeria is a well-defined process,” Olabisi said. “It starts from the primary election to the election proper, proceeding through the tribunal, Court of Appeal, and concluding at the Supreme Court.
By questioning the outcome of the 2018 election, Adeleke is essentially rebuking the judiciary and undermining its authority.”
The APC also pointed out what it described as the irony of Adeleke’s position, given that the same judiciary declared him the winner of the 2022 governorship election against the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.
“It beats the imagination of any right-thinking person that a beneficiary of the judiciary’s pronouncement in 2022 would now deride the same judiciary for its earlier decision,” Olabisi added. “Such statements are contemptuous and set a dangerous precedent.”
The party emphasized its confidence in the judiciary and urged Adeleke to focus on governance rather than revisiting the outcome of the 2018 election. Olabisi stated that such comments would not provide the governor any political advantage ahead of the 2026 election, which the APC vowed to win based on what it described as Adeleke’s “unenviable scorecard.”
“We, as a party, have moved on and remain committed to democratic principles and the rule of law,” Olabisi said. “Governor Adeleke should channel his energy toward addressing governance issues rather than engaging in rhetoric that disrespects our judicial system.”
