Jandor had contended that incumbent governor and APC candidate, Sanwo-Olu was not qualified to stand for election
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the March 18 gubernatorial election in Lagos State, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran aka Jandor, has rejected the verdict of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
TheNiche reported on Monday, September 25, that the tribunal, affirmed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the validly elected candidate in the governorship election.
The Tribunal in making the affirmation, dismissed the petitions brought by PDP’s Adediran and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP).
Jandor had contended that the governor was wrongfully nominated and sponsored by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was not qualified to stand for the election.
However, while delivering its judgement, the judges said the evidence before the tribunal revealed that the petition lacked merit and they subsequently dismissed it.
ALSO READ: Tribunal affirms Lagos governor’s election
Reacting, to the verdict via a statement issued by Gbenga Ogunleye, the Head, Media and Communications JANDOR4GOVERNOR Campaign Organisation, Jandor expressed displeasure over the ruling of the Justice Arum Ashom-led 3-man tribunal.
He 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.”
The PDP flag bearer posited that the decision of the tribunal did not reflect the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022 on issues bothering on the qualification of a candidate in an election.
He went on to assure the residents of the State and his supporters that the Lagos PDP would study the judgment and decide on the next step to be taken.
“This is not the end of the electoral process, it is just another stage. We will study the judgment and take decisions in the best interest of Lagos residents,” the statement further read.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the PDP while responding to the judgement, said that the major opposition party would strategise after examining the ruling.
According to Alhaji Hakeem Amode, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Lagos State, the party would know the next step after collecting the Certified True Copy of the judgment.