Rauf Aregbesola
Cities, towns and villages erupted in ecstasy and wild jubilation across Osun State, on Friday, when an Appeal Court sitting in Ibadan declared the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, as the winner of the April 14, 2007 governorship election.
Ex-governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, performed his last official duty at about 11 am when he inaugurated the president of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Gloria Oladoke, as president, Osun State Customary Court of Appeal. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Chief Iyiola Omisore, who has the backing of Oyinlola to become the next governor of the state, was present at the inauguration of Oladoke.
A source said that Oyinlola, after the inauguration, maintained a constant telephone touch with the Peoples Democratic Party chiefs in the court in Ibadan.
The sun finally set for the Oyinlola administration after the former Military Administrator of Lagos State spent three years and six months in the saddle.
Investigation by our correspondent showed that the governor packed his goods to his private residence in the Government Reservation Area, Osogbo, with his wife and a handful of loyalists.
The Chief Press Secretary to the ousted governor, Mr. Lasisi Olagunju, said, “That decision (victory) has come to us as a rude shock and we see it as a further test for this democracy. We note that the judgement went as predicted by the ACN, which had in the last couple of days inundated the media with what was going to be.
“(Prince Olagunsoye) Oyinlola as a law-abiding citizen and a stakeholder in the Nigerian Project, wishes the ACN and the judiciary the best of luck.”
Several PDP chiefs and their supporters joined the ACN supporters in wild jubilation as they drove round the towns and cities such as Ilesa, Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ejigbo, Ikire, Igbajo, Ikirun, Iragbiji, Ila, Iwo, Iree, among others.
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, in a telephone interview with SATURDAY PUNCH said, “We (Osun PDP) need to look inwards and begin to understand the importance of listening to one another and not treat one another with disdain.
“We must stop imposing candidates on the party. We need to review our leadership in the state. There are lots of lessons to learn when half of PDP supporters are rejoicing over Aregbesola’s victory. I congratulate Governor Aregbesola and I wish him well. I commiserate with ex-Governor Oyinlola.”
Another chief of the Osun PDP, Dr. Yemi Oladimeji, congratulated the new governor on his victory, saying it was well deserved.
A PDP House of Representatives member, Prince Leo Awoyemi, said, “God’s will be done.”
Wild jubilation broke out in the hometowns of Oyinlola in Okuku and the Ibodi hometown of the deputy governor, Mrs. Olusola Obada. The Iwo hometown of the secretary to Oyinlola’s government, Mr. Kazim Adio, and the Ikire hometown Chief of Staff to Oyinlola, Mr. Festus Adeyemo, also experienced celebrations.
No sooner had the court declared Aregbesola victorious than thousands of ACN supporters from major cities trooped into the state capital in buses, trucks and on motorcycles, singing, dancing and chanting anti-government songs.
Investigations by our correspondent showed that the governor packed his goods to his private bungalow in GRA, Osogbo, with his wife and a handful of loyalists at about 3 pm.
His convoy was stoned by youths, who smashed the windscreens of some vehicles in his convoy, when he left the bungalow for Okuku, his hometown, two hours later.
Source:http://www.punchng.com/
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