The Lagos State chapters of the Labour Party (LP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) have approached the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment by the Lagos Election Petition Tribunal which reaffirmed the victory of Babajide Sanwo-olu in the March gubernatorial election in the state.
Among the prayers that the LP candidate in the gubernatorial election, Ifagbemi Awamaridi and the AD candidate, Owolabi salis, are seeking is the nullification of the election over alleged electoral malpractices against Sanwo-olu and his party the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the state had last Monday dismissed the petitions filed by the Labour Party and reaffirmed the victory of Sanwo-olu as the duly-elected governor.
The tribunal described the Labour Party (LP) petition as futile and wasteful exercise, noting that the petitioner could not prove their allegations of mental incompetence against Sanwo-olu.
Justice T.T. Asua, while delivering the judgment, said the petitioners, LP and it candidates, also failed to prove the allegations of electoral practices against Sanwo-olu and his party, the APC.
But the parties in statement, a copy of which was sent to Businessday, signed by the AD chairman in the state, Kola Ajayi, stated that they were confident of getting a favourable judgment at the Court of Appeal, while describing the Lagos tribunal judgment as a miscarriage of justice.
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Meanwhile, the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) has condemned Monday’s protest against immediate past governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode.
The party said the protest lacked sincerity of purpose and obviously calculated at embarrassing the former governor of the state, alleging that incumbent governor of the state was behind the protest.
According to the PDP, “This Sanwo-olu-led APC government is behind the misplaced protests. The governor himself is sponsoring such protests against his predecessor, unfortunately overheating the polity and to distract Lagosians away from his abysmal performances”.
The PDP further stated that attacks on the former governor was affecting the governance in the state and the performance of the current administration, stressing that recent crisis in the state was a testimony on the disaffection with the ruling party.
“Indeed, the disgraceful acrimony within the Lagos APC is taking its toll on expected service delivery in the state. There is now obvious disillusionment and maladministration in the state.
“This Sanwo- Olu style has overheated the polity, permeated their sympathy groups like the NURTW, markets, cult groups, NGOS, etc. Recent violence amongst the groups can be traced to the APC leaders’ struggle for power,” the opposition party said.
