I'm still expecting Oyetola to congratulate me - Adeleke

The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said he's still hoping that the immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, will congratulate him for his victory at the Court of Appeal.

Adeleke made this known while expressing his disappointment over the refusal of his predecessor to concede defeat after the Appeal Court judgement of Friday, March 24, 2023.

The governor disclosed these while appearing on Arise TV Morning Show on Monday, March 27, 2023.

Adeleke said he reached out to Oyetola immediately after the judgement on Friday but that the latter has refused to embrace the olive branch.

The governor said: “Immediately after the news of the Appeal Court (judgement), I tried to reach out, I called him – the former Governor Oyetola – to let us forge ahead to move Osun forward, but up till now, he has not called me to congratulate me and I’m still hoping that he will do that because we don’t have any other state than Osun State here. So, I’m ready, my hands are open, let’s come together and move Osun State forward.

Adeleke's words implied that Oyetola had refused to pick up his phone call on Friday, but the governor quickly clarified that he never called the former governor.

“Well let me correct it, I did not say I put a call to him, what I said is I’m still expecting him to call me so that he can congratulate me, and if he wants to do otherwise and go ahead to the Supreme Court, he has the right to do that,” the governor explained.

He reiterated that he's open to working with Oyetola but also stated that he's not afraid to defend his mandate at the Supreme Court should Oyetola decide to appeal the Appellate Court ruling.

Recall that last Friday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja overturned an earlier ruling by the Osun tribunal which nullified the election of Adeleke as governor of the state.

In a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal, the Appellate Court ruled that Adeleke's appeal to challenge his sacking by the Osun State Governorship Petition Tribunal has merits.

Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed overruled the judgment of the governorship election tribunal that nullified the outcome of the July 2022 governorship polls.