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Major towns in Osun were on Saturday engulfed with pockets of crises as residents took to the streets to express their grievances against the Friday judgement of the Osun tribunal affirming the immediate past governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the July 16th governorship election in the State.
The protesters, according to investigations conducted across the towns by our reporter, were armed with placards with different inscriptions that frowned against the judgement given, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to with immediate effect withdraw its certificate of returns issued to the incumbent governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke and give it to his predecessor in office.
In Ilesha, Ile-Ogbo, Ila-Orangun, Iwo, Ile-ife and some other parts of towns in the State, born tyres were made by demonstrators who engaged themselves in riotous songs to protest the judgement.
At these mentioned towns, however, many shop owners, traders, business centres operators locked up their shops and solidarise with the rioters whom they described as justice fighters.
For instance, in Osogbo, Osun state capital, people converged at Oke-fia area of the town, organised themselves in a formidable group and marched round the town to express their displeasure to the judgement delivered by the Osun State election petition tribunal led by Justice Tertsea Kume.
Some of the areas where the protesters visited in the town were Old-garage and were not allowed to converge at Gbongan+Ibadan road axis in Osogbo, before being scared and despatched by sporadic shooting of armed policemen.
Major roads of these towns were blocked, commercial activities were paralyzed and long queues of vehicular and human movements were recorded due to pronounced heavy traffic jams at the locations where the demonstrations took place.
Also, Osogbo – Ilobu road was heavily blocked by protesters who came out as earlier as 7.00 a.m to register their displeasure to the judgement delivered against Senator Ademola Adeleke at the poll while feelers from other parts of the state also revealed that, similar incidents were recorded in Odeomu, Ikire, Gbongan as at the time that of Osogbo unrest was going on.
Vehicular movements were crippled along Osogbo/Ikirun road while the leadership of motorcycle and tricycle operators in the state ordered vacation of motorcyclists, tricyclists operating in the town.
The development has however forced many residents to result into trekking through countless miles to their different destinations.
Meanwhile, at Igbona Area of Osogbo, 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.
Eyewitness account stated that, “operatives that were in the convoy of the CP later cleared the barricade and moved on.
Meanwhile, Osun Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said, “more men have been deployed to the identified spots where roads were blocked to traffic. The situation is under control”.
They described the judgement as a miscarriage of justice and vowed to resist the move where by an un-democratically elected person would be ordered to take over the mantle of the State.
Speaking with our reporter, one of their leaders who identified himself as Mr Adeniyi Adebola stated that, they embarked on the demonstrations to condemn the election petition tribunal and to alert the whole world that, they have been bought over by political bigwigs in the All Progressive Congress (APC) party.
Adeniyi who pointed out that, “all living creatures should always remember that, whatever thing we do on the surface of earth, will later be accounted for in the presence of God”, kicked against the verdict and pray to God to judge them accordingly.
He further described the judgement delivered as miscarriage of justice and downgrading of judicial circle because according to him, the judges that gave the Verdict did not represent the legal profession well.
ALSO READ: Osun: Tribunal judgement mocks law and facts — Hon. Salam
Also, another person identified himself as Muniratu Adegbesan attributed the judgement to manipulation of Justice and wondered why some jurists do not embrace justice but preferred, injustice.
According to him, the judgement was dangerous to democratic principle of democracy and called on jurists in the legal profession not to allow themselves to be bought over by desperate politicians who always after their selfish interest.
He affirmed, “We are out today because we are not happy with the tribunal judgement, it is obvious that APC manipulated it. This is miscarriage of justice” “On Imole mandate we stand”, “Osun Citizens Reject Oyetola”, “Imole has come to stay”.
“This type of judgment is dangerous to our democracy. It means that our votes will not count and justice can not be served. I call on President Muhammadu Buhari, United Nations and other international community to step in, such judgment must not stand,” he said.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the international community to step in and ensure that such a judgment does not stand.
Also, in Ede, the country home of the governor, there were protest against the judgement forcing residents to come out enmass to reject the verdict they described as “daylight robbery”.
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