The Osun State governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said he will defend and retain his electoral victory before the Election Petition Tribunal, IgbereTV reports
Adeleke gave the assurance while receiving over 500 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Obokun Local Government Area of state.
He maintained that his emergence was entrenched in total compliance with the law and the will of the people of Osun State.
The defectors led by a former Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, were received by the governor-elect alongside other party chieftains.
“The whole world knows that his election was a free and fair election. They have the right to go to court,” Adeleke said.
“I can tell you that it is dead on arrival. I can tell all our teeming supporters, all the Osun supporters who have voted massively for us that they should keep calm and not worry.
“This time around, the people of Osun have spoken. They don’t have anything to worry about. It is a waste of time.”
Adeleke assured the people of Osun State that his administration will prioritise education, healthcare, and security as well as provide other basic amenities to the people.
The ‘Dancing Senator’ as he is fondly called defeated incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC in the July 16 poll in the state.
Having run under the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke the winner after polling 403,371 against Oyetola’s 375,027 votes.
But Governor Oyetola and his party are challenging the outcome of the election. He has filed a petition before an Election Tribunal.