Following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun’s second term election, he mocked the appellant, Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in preparation for another political war against the governing party in 2027.
Abiodun talked with journalists in Iperu, his hometown, shortly after arriving from Abuja following the Supreme Court decision on Friday.
Adebutu and his party has taken Abiodun to the electoral petition tribunal because he was dissatisfied with the results of the gubernatorial election on March 18, 2023.
Governor Abiodun was announced winner of the poll having scored a total of 276,298 votes, while Adebutu polled 262,383 votes to come second, thus trailing the winner with 13,915 votes.
The PDP candidate, however, argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ought to have ordered a rerun of the poll having cancelled the election in 99 polling units with a total of over 40,000 voters surpassing the margin of 13,915 votes.
But in a unanimous judgement, the Supreme Court rejected Adebutu and the PDP’s prayer for a rerun in the 99 polling units where elections were cancelled.
Mocking the opposition, the governor said the PDP cannot get a rerun now but in 2027 after he must have concluded his second term in office.
“We hope our opponent who has been making a lot of noise about a rerun can prepare for a rerun in 2027.
“We will now focus on sustaining our legacies, the foundation of which we laid since we assumed office in 2019.
“In the coming weeks, you will see some of the goodies that we will be unveiling for the good people of Ogun State; we remain the fastest growing economy in Nigeria, the most improved economy in Nigeria, we will continue to build on these victories.
“All attempts to distract us have failed, it has been an emotional seesaw, psychological seesaw, emotional distraction, of course physical distraction as well,” he said.
Abiodun also appreciated leaders of his party, particularly the President, Bola Tinubu, who he said, without his support he wouldn’t be standing celebrating the election victory.
