Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran (also known as Jandor), the candidate of the Lagos PDP for governor in the general elections of 2023, has disregarded the decision of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The suit filed by Adediran to challenge the reelection of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was deemed dead on arrival by the tribunal on Monday.
The tribunal decided that the petition lacked validity because of the evidence in front of it.
Sanwo-Olu, according to Adediran, was improperly nominated and sponsored by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and was therefore unable to run for office.
In retaliation, Adediran voiced displeasure over the decision of the three-person panel, which was presided over by Justice Arum Ashom, in a statement by Mr. Gbenga Ogunleye, Head, Media and Communications JANDOR4GOVERNOR Campaign Organisation.
According to Adediran, “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.”
Adediran made the claim that the tribunal’s ruling on the issue of a candidate’s eligibility for an election did not take into account the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution or the Electoral Act 2022.
However, he gave the State’s citizens the assurance that the Lagos PDP would review the verdict and determine the appropriate course of action.
This is merely a new phase in the election process; it is not its conclusion. In order to make judgements that will best serve Lagos citizens, we will carefully consider the verdict.
Similar to this, the Lagos State PDP declared that after considering the decision, the party would strategize.
In a statement, Alhaji Hakeem Amode, the PDP’s Lagos State publicity secretary, added that the party would know the next course of action after it had obtained the Certified True Copy of the judgement.
“We urge our loyal supporters to maintain their composure and refrain from any actions that might jeopardise the peace and order of our society,” Amode stated.
“As a party, we are committed to reviewing the judgement carefully after receiving the Certified True Copy, and we will then give clear instructions to our legal staff.
The foundational principles of democracy form the basis of our party’s beliefs, and we’re still committed to promoting an inclusive society that looks out for the interests of all of its members.
“We firmly believe that using the legal system is the appropriate way to address our concerns.”
He claims that the party is steadfast in its will to pursue the matter until a fair and legal conclusion is reached.
When the chance presents itself, “our party is steadfast in its dedication to serving the populace to the fullest extent,” Amode stated.
