Some major roads in Osogbo and Ilesa were on Saturday blocked by protesters, believed to be displeased with the decision of the Election Petition Tribunal that sacked Senator Ademola Adeleke as Governor of Osun State.
According to The PUNCH, the protesters, who prevented vehicular movement along Osogbo/Ikirun Road, also blocked Gbongan/Osogbo road to traffic and beat up many commercial motorcyclists that were operating in the town.
While many commuters were stranded and had to trek long distances to their destinations, many business places did not open to customers over the fear of attack by the hoodlums.
At Igbona Area, the convoy of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kehinde Longe, was stopped by some people believed to be members of the transport management committee.
An eyewitness, who witnessed the incident said operatives that were in the convoy of the CP later cleared the barricade and moved on.
At Ilesa, the popular roundabout was blocked to traffic, forcing commuters to take alternative routes to their various destinations.
When contacted for a reaction, Osun Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said, “more men have been deployed to the identified trouble spots where roads were blocked to traffic. The situation is under control.”
It would be recalled that the Election Petitions Tribunal hearing the All Progressives Congress’ Adegboyega Oyetola’s petition against the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ademola Adeleke on Friday annulled the result of the July 16 Osun governorship poll.
Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision, declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act. He subsequently deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared that Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
Justice Kume eventually directed INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s certificate of return and issue another one to Oyetola who, he said, won a majority of the lawful votes.
However, Governor Adeleke in a statement signed by his spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, described the judgement as a miscarriage of justice.
He faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Mr. Oyetola, calling it “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters.”
While urging his supporters to remain calm, Governor Adeleke vowed to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, insisting he remains the rightful winner of the July 16th, 2022 election.