Oyetola will return as governor in July, says Osun Assembly Speaker

The Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, has predicted that the election petition tribunal will return former governor Gboyega Oyetola to his seat.

Mr Oyetola was defeated by Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 2022 governorship election and was sworn in in November.

Four days ago, Mr Oyetola returned to Osogbo, the state capital, which he had left a day before Mr Adeleke’s inauguration.

The former governor told supporters who welcomed him back in Osogbo that God revealed to him that he will return as governor of the state.

At the Inauguration of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council in Osogbo on Thursday, the House Speaker also echoed Mr Oyetola’s declaration.

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Mr Owoeye said Mr Oyetola will return as governor of the state before 5 July.

“In 2019, the Supreme Court gave its final verdict on July 5, affirming the victory of Oyetola as the governor. If you know them, go and tell them that before July 5, 2023 Oyetola will be returned as Osun Governor,” he said.

“They thought they could manipulate the results of the election in their favour, but we thank God that the results of the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System (BVAS) exposed them,” he added.

“So, Please, the presidential election is very important to us and we want you to begin to mobilize our people to vote massively for our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima and all other candidates of our party.”

However, the caretaker chairman of Osun PDP, Akindele Adekunle, has condemned the speaker’s statement.

Mr Adekunle said the speaker had disrespected his office for publicly saying the former governor will return as governor of the state.

“We at first decried the failure of the Speaker to respect the office he is occupying, to rise above petty partisan politics and to tell the truth to Mr Oyetola who of recent has been listening to devil’s whispering.

“We condemn in no small measure the lack of courage and demise of statesmanship demonstrated by the House Speaker who today openly revolted against the will of Osun people and who has unashamedly embraced ignoble falsehood and propaganda of a defeated Oyetola,” he said.