Encomiums, jubilation in Kogi Central as Appeal Court affirms Senator Oseni’s victory
By Zacchaeus Ozovehe
Residents of the entire five Local Government Areas of Kogi Central Senatorial District were earlier today thrown into spontaneous jubilation when the news of the Appeal Court on the verdict of the victory of Senator Yakubu Oseni filtered in.
Senator Yakubu Oseni, a man of destiny, could be described as a cat with nine lives owing to the inexplicable grace of God which has granted him victory amidst multiple Estiff oppositions from his political rivals in the run up to the Senatorial election held on 23rd February this year.
It would be recalled that arising from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election that produced him as the candidate, the dissatisfied Hon. Sheriff took Senator Yakubu Oseni to court and vehemently challenged the lawmaker’s eligibility for the contest.
As a man who has a date with destiny, Senator Yakubu Oseni floored Hon. Sheriff right from the High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court where the case was finally rested and verdict given in favour of the humble lawmaker, a feat which many described as express manifestation of God’s Grace.
However, in a consolidated lawsuit, Senator Salawu Ahmed Ogembe and Barr. Natasha Akpoti of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) respectively, challenged the overwhelming victory of the lawmaker at the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal that sat in Abuja.
This period was characterised by venomous verbal outbursts from the oppositions, especially Barr. Natasha Akpoti who derived pleasure in dishing out defamatory statements, vilification and outright dissemination of concocted mischievous claims against the person of Senator Yakubu Oseni.
Today, from the Election Petition Tribunal and Appeal Court, the legal encumbrances have been shed with the affirmation of Senator Yakubu Oseni as the duly elected Senator of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
While reacting to the final judgement, Senator Yakubu Oseni reiterated he never got desperate in all the processes because he firmly believed that God gives power to whom ever He wishes. Senator Oseni declared that he bears no grudges with anyone as all parties involved in the legal proceedings exercised their civic rights within the tenets of democracy.
“We were all in the court for one reason which is to actively represent our people and give them dividends of democracy. You may be correct in your own right but the court has given its verdict. Let’s join hands together to build our constituency,” he appealed.
An independent Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who decided to follow up on the case right from the tribunal court to Appeal Court advised that complainants should endeavour to ‘divorce’ emotional sentiments from court proceedings which is purely based on critical reasoning.
“Do not read law to speak English. You have to be intelligent. There is a wide gap between speaking English and being intelligent, be wise,” he advised.
