Odo-Ogun Parliament Seat: APC Takes ‘Full Control’ Of Kwara Assembly …PDP Threatens To Petition NJC..Judiciary Has Only Helped To Correct ‘An Error’ -Akanbi

Kwara state APC   has taken ‘full control’ of the state House of Assembly.

The parliament which has 24 members that are elected from the 16 local governments in the state is now 100% APC.

Hon Taiye Afolabi, who was the only PDP state lawmaker, had his victory annulled by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday while Hon Musa Yusuf Atoyebi, who was the APC candidate in the house of assembly election held in  Odo-Ogun State Constituency , Oyun Local Government, on March 18,2023, was declared as the ‘real winner’.

The Appeal Court also upheld the victory of Hon. Razaq Owolabi of Share/Oke Ode Constituency, Ifelodun local government , ditto Hon. Rukayyat Shittu of Owode/Onire Constituency , Asa local government.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq sent a message of congratulations to Owolabi, Shittu and Musa on Tuesday night.

AbdulRazaq noted in a statement  made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye that the development recorded on Tuesday   has reaffirmed the confidence of the people in the party and the government, and  the fact that the party ticked all the right boxes in the electoral process. 

The governor  however added  that the victory comes with renewed responsibility on the  part of  the affected legislators to deliver more to the people ‘for the confidence reposed in our party’. 

‘The governor is confident that the legislators will continue to represent the interest of the people. 

He also commended the judges for standing firm by the law and resisting any blackmail or threat in the discharge of their constitutional duties’  Ajakaye added.

Members of Team Owooo (WW),  headed by Alhaji Tajudeen Adedotun, who is the Director General, in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Tuesday night congratulated Hon. Owolabi Olatunde Rasaq on his judicial victory.

The Team said the judicial  victory  has confirmed Owolabi’s popularity  in  Share/ Oke-Ode Constituency and the support he has enjoyed from his constituents  because of his consistent good performance and for impacting lives and being altruistic.

‘The victory at the Appeal Court on Tuesday is the beginning of the journey of our leader to greater political heights, and we pledge to redouble our efforts and continued service, support and stand with Hon. Owolabi in pursuance of his future political aspirations.  We pray that Almighty Allah grants the Jagunmolu more wisdom, strength and everything he would require to get bigger victories as he continues to serve the people’ the statement said.

In a telephone interview with Team@orientactualmags.com on Tuesday night, APC Chairman, Oyun local government , Hon Kamaldeen Akanbi hailed the judicial victory earned by   Hon Atoyebi Yusuf Musa  of Odo-Ogun State Constituency submitting that the judiciary has only helped to ‘right the wrong’.

He  asserted that Hon Taiye Afolabi’s victory in the House of Assembly election held on March 18,2023,  was questionable and shocking hence the decision to take a legal action.

 ‘It is good news; we are happy that the judiciary has helped us to correct an error.  Declaring the PDP candidate as winner was shocking and unexpected, it was a big surprise because it was claimed that he won in our party’s strongholds but as a law-abiding party , we chose to take a legal action and it has resulted in victory for us.

Everything has now been set straight through the judiciary. APC is a popular party in our local government, that is the truth, and we assure our people that we will continue to deliver dividends of democracy’ he said.

Kwara state PDP has however condemned the appeal court ruling that annulled  Otunba Taiye Afolabi’s victory calling this a gross miscarriage of justice.

The state Publicity Secretary ,  Hon  Olusegun Olusola Adewara told Team@orientactualmags.com on Wednesday morning that the party  is consulting its lawyers while expressing readiness to petition the National Judicial Council, NJC.

‘Kwara state PDP condemns the Court of Appeal judgment that sacked Otunba Taiye Afolabi  in its entirety, it is gross miscarriage of justice  and it has shown that our democracy is under threat  through the judiciary that ought to be the hope of  the common.

We affirm that Otunba Taiye Afolabi  won the House of Assembly election in  Odo-Ogun State Constituency with wide margin which showed that the people of the constituency love the PDP.

It is therefore wrong  and reprehensible  for any judge  to seek  to take away  the mandate  of the people  through  frivolous reasons  of including Otunba   in his name, Otunba is a title not a name .

The reason why the court annulled Otunba Afolabi’s victory  was because  in his documents with INEC,  he was referred to as Otunba Taiye Afolabi  and  the judge  now said because his academic certificates do not feature ‘Otunba’   he  has taken a decision to annul  his victory.

Otunba is a title. We expect that the judiciary will rise above this pettiness . We are going to petition NJC  and internationally recognized bodies   that can help us right this wrong.

We are  presently consulting  with our lawyers, we urge all lovers of democracy to condemn what they have done.

We were told that a top security official in the presidency whose brother is a beneficiary of the court ruling,  connived with the Minister for Justice and the governor to annul Afolabi’s victory. Our party will take this  up’ he said-Team@orientactualmags.com
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