‘They are mentally unstable’ — Aregbesola hits PDP chieftains who protested at INEC office

Rauf Aregbesola, governor of Osun state, says those who protested against the governorship election in the state are mentally unstable.

He said this on Friday after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Gboyega Oyetola, governor-elect of the state.

Senate President Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives had led a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday.

They had demanded that Ademola Adeleke, PDP candidate in the Osun election, be declared winner.

While briefing state house correspondents after meeting the president, Aregbesola said it was irresponsible of those who participated in the protest to do so, knowing that the outcome of the election was currently being contested in court.

When asked what was his take on the protest, he said, “I will not even respond to this because what you are referring to is a charade, an act of gross irresponsibility from people who ought to know that after an election, the only option left for every responsible citizen is to go to the tribunal.

“And again interestingly, the other party the party that was defeated in the election is already in tribunal. I don’t now know what the protest you are talking about is meant to do. If you are already in court and you are still doing a street protest either you are not mentally stable or you need psychiatric attention.”

The governor said he was at the presidential villa to express gratitude to the president and also present the incoming governor to him.

“Yesterday (Thursday), we met with the national chairman to do the same soon after the receipt of certificate of return by the two candidates who won the election to the offices of the governor and deputy governor on Wednesday,” he said.

“Indeed, the president expressed joy and charged us not to relent in mobilizing our people to support his own election and the return of our parliamentarians at the state and national assemblies and made commitment that we will not rest again in mobilizing our people to victory in all the other subsequent elections.

“We let him know the challenges we face and we are very hopeful that with the support we got from him and all other critical stakeholders from the leadership at the national level to leadership at the regional level and the governors of the party in virtually all the states of the federation particularly in the north.

“I do not think there was any election in such an array of eminent Nigerians and personalities particularly governors who committed everything they have to ensure that their party got the upper hand in the election.”