The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba, has said that the affirmation of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s election by the Supreme Court was a proof that his victory in the 2022 governorship election was God-ordained
The Speaker said the victory recorded at the Supreme Court, which is the final court in the land, would give Oyebanji the opportunity to fully concentrate on the business of governance and continue to put smiles on the faces of the people with life-changing policies and pro-masses projects.
In a congratulatory statement by her Special Adviser on Media, Odunayo Ogunmola, the Speaker noted that there was no doubt that Oyebanji, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the 18th June, 2022 governorship poll in Ekiti as confirmed by the popular votes he received across the state.
While noting that any of the opposition parties had the constitutional rights to go to court to challenge the results of the election if they are aggrieved with same, Rt. Hon. Adelugba said the election of Oyebanji met the requirements of the law and the wishes of the electorate hence it was difficult to overturn.
Rt. Hon. Adelugba pointed out that it was remarkable that the State Election Petition Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court found no blemish in the return of the Governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the rightful winner of the governorship seat.
She hailed the justices of the Supreme Court for aligning with the concurrent verdicts of the Election Tribunal and Appeal Court noting that upholding the Oyebanji’s victory has removed every shade of doubt from his return as the authentic winner of the Ekiti 2022 gubernatorial poll.
The Speaker also praised the Governor for being magnanimous in victory and extending his hands of fellowship to the petitioner and the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Segun Oni, which she described as a worthy gesture of statesmanship.
She called on the people of Ekiti State across party divides and affiliations to join hands with Oyebanji in the task of taking the Land of Honour to a higher pedestal of good governance and quality leadership in the comity of states in Nigeria.
Rt. Hon. Adelugba said Governor Oyebanji has so far justified the confidence reposed in him by the electorate and has been using the mandate given to him to drive the wheel of governance to the satisfaction of all the people of Ekiti State irrespective of whether they voted for him or not at the last governorship poll.
The Speaker also gave assurance that the Ekiti State House of Assembly under her leadership would continue to work with the Governor to smoothen the wheel of governance in the state in the performance of its constitutional functions.
“We thank God that the Supreme Court has put a judicial seal of affirmation on the popular mandate given to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, this is a confirmation that his victory was God-ordained.
“The end has come to this litigation as the Supreme Court is the final court in the land, this is the time for all of us in Ekiti State to support our Governor in the task of taking our state to a higher pedestal of development,” she said.