My Victory At Supreme Court, Triumph Of The People ―Obaseki

Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, on Monday said his victory was a validation of the triumph of the will of the people and also established the masses as the true and ultimate power of the country’s evolving democracy.

Obaseki, said this at the Edo State Government Executive Council 2017 Retreat holding at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

The governor, who was accompanied by the Speaker, State House of Assembly, Hon. Justin Okonoboh; Chief of Staff (CoS), Mr Taiwo Akerele, among others, who recalled the earlier verdicts delivered by the Appeal Court and the Election Petitions Tribunal respectively, affirmed that those verdicts mirrored the Supreme Court judgment given on Monday, confirming that truth indeed was immutable.

“Today, July 10, 2017, the Supreme Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, delivered yet another landmark judgment affirming my victory and that of my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the Edo State governorship election which held on the 28th of September, 2016.”

“This victory today invariably validates the perfection of the triumph of the will of the people and establishes the masses that we serve as the true and ultimate power of our evolving democracy.”

“Last month, precisely on the 10th of June and earlier on Friday the 14th of April, 2017, the Appeal Court and the election petitions tribunal respectively, gave verdicts which mirror this one given today by the apex court, confirming that truth indeed is immutable,” Obaseki said.

According to him, who disclosed that he had a few moments ago been congratulated by his co- contestant on Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) platform, Ize Iyamu, all the victories at the polls and the various courts had undoubtedly given him and the good people of Edo State joy.

He said the development should also teach a vital lesson that at all times, no matter the severity of the odds, it was important one must stand on the side of fidelity, honesty and truth.

“It goes without saying that we have received invaluable support and guidance from a vast number of friends, supporters and well-wishers and there are no words that can adequately convey our gratitude,” the governor said.

In particular, he expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said had been immovable in his support, wise in his counsel and had showed firm commitment to democracy and good governance, even as he equally thanked the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, for his wisdom, encouragement, relentless support and skilful leadership.

“The leadership of our great party, the APC, under Chief John Odigie Oyegun, remained an uncompromising pillar, keeping our party focused, passionate and effectively mobilised.

“Also worthy of tremendous amount of gratitude is the immediate past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, for his commitment to democracy,” Obaseki expressed.

Also speaking, immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, said the verdict by the Supreme Court affirming Governor Obaseki as duly elected governor of Edo State was a vote of confidence on the Nigerian electoral process.

According to him, the verdict shows that INEC was right to have declared Obaseki as the man that the people of Edo actually voted for to become their governor and not the other way round, even as he contended that there was no basis in the first instance for the PDP and its candidate to have gone to court to challenge Obaseki’s victory.

“The PDP didn’t know things have changed, they thought it was still an era when they could rig and manipulate things in their favour,” he said.