The Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that his victory at the Supreme Court affirming him as the winner of the April 23, 2015 governorship election has finally freed the state from what he called ill-advised distractions represented by the petition of the Accord Party.
The governor dedicated the chain of victory in the courts to God and the people of the state in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka, on Wednesday where he also offered an olive branch to the opposition Accord Party..
Ajimobi said that he was able to trounce the candidate of Accord, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, a former governor of the state, on three different occasions from the tribunal to the Court of Appeal, and finally at the Supreme Court because his petition, which challenged his victory had no substance.
He said, “Although all men and women of goodwill pleaded with the Ladoja camp to accept defeat and cooperate with the winner in the onerous task of rebuilding the legacies of our heroes past, they bluntly refused.
“Although contestants from other parties quickly conceded defeat and indeed proceeded to congratulate the winner having seen the trend of the results, Senator Ladoja and his party refused to play the gallant losers, preferring instead to fight to the finish.
“But we were never for once bothered knowing full well that the people had spoken so clearly and unmistakably on that historic April day by returning a vote of confidence in the candidate in whom they were well pleased.
“Now that their fight is exhausted and their wind vanes broken, we hope Senator Rashidi Ladoja and his band will henceforth turn their energies to better and more productive ends in the interest of our dear state and its development”, he said.
The governor said that the victory had afforded him another opportunity to thank God for standing by him, just as he expressed profound gratitude to the people of the state for their steadfastness to the collective vision of a renewed and sustainable state.
Ajimobi similarly appreciated members of the country’s judiciary for what he said was their sustained efforts at offering hope to all citizens and justice to all, without let or hindrance.
His words: “Now that the distractions are out of the way, the good works will continue in earnest. I thank the people of the state for their support and resilience over the years and I promise to redouble my efforts at taking the state to greater height.
“I’m using this opportunity to call on my brother, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and others still in the opposition to join hands with us to take our state to another level that will be different from a village. I thank the people of Oyo State for their steadfastness. It’s victory for all of us.
“Thank God Senator Ladoja is moving closer to the Olubadan throne now. Let them make him Olubadan so that he will stop all these political fights. God has destined me to spend eight years as the governor of Oyo State by the popular mandate of the people”, he added.
