The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Mr Olajide Adediran aka Jandor, have rejected the judgement of the Lagos State governorship election petition tribunal which upheld the victory of the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Mr Obafemi Hamzat in the March 18, 2023 poll.
Recall that the tribunal had, yesterday, dismissed the two petitions filed by the PDP and Jandor and the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, challenging the return of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Mr Obafemi Hamzat.
The tribunal held that the governor and his deputy were eligible to contest election in the state under section 177 of the Constitution.
It noted that they were/are members of a political party and educated up to the school certificate level.
Section 177 of the constitution stipulated that “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth; (b) he has attained the age of thirty-five years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.
“We have considered the evidence before this court. He has the highest number of votes. This petition is dead on arrival.
“Given the evidence adduced before the court, the grounds on which the petitioner is seeking disqualification of 2nd and 3rd respondents lack merit, I affirm the election and return of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected governor of Lagos state. Parties are to bear their cost,” Justice Mikail Abdullahi who read the judgement of the three-man panel declared.
Reacting to the judgement, Jandor said the tribunal’s verdict does not reflect the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 on issues bothering on qualification of a candidate in an election.
In a signed statement, spokesman for the Jandor4Governor Campaign Organisation, Mr Gbenga Ogunleye, said: “Adediran said it is quite unfortunate that the tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the credible and convincing evidence presented by his legal team on the non-qualifications of the APC and the Labour Party candidates in the election.
“He posited that the decision of the tribunal does not reflect the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022 on issues bothering on qualification of a candidate in an election.”
Jandor said the Lagos PDP would study the judgement and take decisions in the best interest of Lagosians.
“This is not the end of the electoral process; and it is just another stage,” he added.
Similarly, spokesman for the party in the state, Mr Hakeem Amode said the PDP would review the judgement meticulously and strategise for the next line of action.
“While we refrain from providing a detailed analysis of the judgment at this juncture, we urge our dedicated supporters to maintain composure and abstain from any activities that may disrupt the harmony and order of our society
“As a party, we are committed to undertaking a meticulous review of the judgment upon receipt of the certified true copy, and subsequently, we will issue precise directives to our legal team.
“The tenets of democracy are at the core of our party’s values, and we remain dedicated to fostering an inclusive society that serves the interests of all its citizens.
“We firmly believe that the appropriate avenue for addressing our concerns is through the legal process, and we are unwavering in our resolve to pursue our case until it reaches a just and lawful resolution,” he said.
In his reaction, Sanwo-Olu described the judgement as “well thought-out and detailed.”
Speaking at a thanksgiving service held at The Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos to mark the commencement of the 2023/2024 New Legal Year, the governor called for continued collaboration between the executive, legislative and judiciary in order to uphold the principles of justice, fairness and the rule of law to ensure that the state grows greatly.
“I commend the judiciary and the judges that delivered the well thought-out and detailed judgment.
“They took their time to explain to everyone the reasons that led them to the views and conclusion they gave today. We thank the judges for their firm commitment to principle of fairness and justice.
“…I feel very privileged to have been elected to serve at this important moment in the history of our State. We thank all Lagosians for standing by us all through this journey. For us, this judgement is a victory for all. We are not coming out here to say somebody won or lost. For all of us on this political trajectory, there are no winners or losers.
“For us, our aim in governance is about service and ensuring that we are not distracted from all the promises we made to Lagosians. This judgement has given us the opportunity to double up our interventions to ensure that we continue to deliver quality dividends of democracy to our citizens,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu added that there was no winner or loser and urged his opponents to accept the verdict of the tribunal in good faith as well as join forces to develop the state.
