By Seyi Babalola
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, on Saturday, congratulated the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, over the reinstatement of his mandate by the Appeal Court.
According to him, history will not forget the Justices who decided the case and stuck to the truth.
Frank in a statement in Abuja, also lauded the Justices of the Appeal Court that courageously decided the case and upheld the victory of Senator Adeleke as the duly elected Governor of Osun state, despite attempt by the tribunal to fraudulently upturn the mandate.
He however called on Adeleke to be focused on his development strides by wiping the tears of the people and delivering the state from backwardness now that distraction of the court case has been put to rest by the judgement of the court.
He thanked the Appeal Court justices and by extension the Nigerian judiciary for mustering the courage to uphold the Truth and Justice, saying, “We want to see this in them in other election’s petition cases.”
Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, urged the Judiciary to know that in areas where they have done well, Nigerians and the world will hail them but when they do wrong, Nigerians will call them out.
He said, “We hope the Judiciary will bring this courage to bare in doing the needful in deciding the Presidential election petition cases now before them.
“The Judiciary must realize that the only hope Nigerians have today is in them. We hope they will not dash that hope.
“We know there will be pressure on them by the powers-that-be to do the wrong thing, but they must be guided by the bigger picture which is to free the people from exploitation and slavery in taking their final decision.
“History will not forget the Justices that decided the Adeleke Versus Gboyega Oyetola Appeal for sticking to the truth.
“Despite the oppression, they remained courageous. However, this is not the end of their task. A greater task beckons and that task is to redeem the damaged image and lost glory of the judiciary.
“We believe there still exist some incorruptible judges with good conscience. This is not the time for the judiciary to sell justice. It is time to give justice back to the people.
“Nigerians and the world look forward to the Judiciary to restore the presidential mandate which has once again been stolen from the people the same way they upheld Adeleke’s victory and restored his mandate
“It is an open secret that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) totally disregarded their own guidelines and did not follow the rule of law during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
“The Justices of the Appeal Court now have the opportunity to write their name in gold by restoring the lost confidence to the judiciary again.
“Majority of Nigerians have in recent time lost hope and confidence in the judiciary but with this judgement the hope and confidence of the people has been rekindled.
“We hope the Judiciary keeps and sustains this renewed confidence now rejuvenated through this courageous judgement.”