Akinlade heads to Supreme Court, to challenge Abiodun’s election as Ogun governor

CANDIDATE of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), in the 2019 governorship election in Ogun State, Adekunle Akinlade, has made known his intention to challenge the ruling of the Court Appeal which dismissed his petition against the election of Mr Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the governor of the state at the Supreme Court.

He made this known on Saturday while addressing members of the party in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Akinlade, while thanking his supporters for their unwavering support and encouragement since the commencement of the pre-election process on October 2, 2018, noted that the move to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court became imperative in order to retrieve the mandate validly given to him by the people of Ogun State.

“As you all know, we rightfully decided to challenge the governorship election results of March 9, 2019. Subsequently, the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal dismissed our petition on the grounds that the cornerstone of our case was a pre-election matter, thus, statute-barred.

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“Our conviction and believe in the legal system is unshaken despite the two previous judgments. Yesterday (Friday) the 15th of November, 2019, elders and leaders across the state met and unanimously agreed that we must approach the Supreme Court to further test the strength of our case.

“Our counsels have studied reasons alluded by the Court of Appeal for upholding the rulings of the lower court and advised us accordingly. I, therefore, state that we shall be approaching the Supreme Court for justice.”

Akinlade, further said: “Dear compatriots, it is pertinent to note that the show of strong character and principles come at a cost. At times like this, our desire to build a better future for our children and sustain the development that was experienced between 2011-2019 across the state must spur us above any personal or collective gratification that doing otherwise might bring,” he added.