The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to use this medium to commend Nigerians for their perseverance and endurance of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government at the federal level and in many states across the country. Moreso, we wish to state that our party looks forward to the commencement of proceedings at the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal based on our petition to the tribunal.
The governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR), and the party had submitted a petition before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal of Lagos State calling for the disqualification of the APC and the Labour Party candidates in the election for non-compliance with the constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022. In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated 7th April 2023, the petitioners; Dr. Adediran and the PDP are challenging the outcome of the March 18 governorship election on grounds of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Law as well as the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the 1st respondent, Mr. Sanwo-Olu Babajide Olusola, his Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr. Hamzat Kadri Obafemi, the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Arch. Rhodes-Vivour Gbadebo Patrick and the Labour Party respectively are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th respondents.
Besides non-compliance with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, Dr. Adediran and PDP in their petition are claiming that at the time of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, and Rhodes-Vivour were not qualified to contest the election and therefore prayed that all votes cast for them in the election be declared wasted. The facts of the petition bother on four grounds of non-compliance warranting disqualification of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat declared as the winner of the election by INEC, as well as another four grounds of non-compliance warranting disqualification of Arch. Rhodes-Vivour who was declared to have scored the second-highest number of votes in the election.
We in the Lagos State PDP believe that after over one month of the submission of the petition and after both the APC and Labour have submitted its responses and we have also responded to their responses, then the matter should begin in earnest. While we are not trying to interfere with the activities of the court, we believe that time is of essence and that the earlier the issues are resolved the better as democracy appears to be on trial in the cosmopolitan state. Our party is ever ready to provide quality leadership for the people of the state compared to the current situation. We have much belief in the judiciary and we know that all the issues raised would be painstakingly considered so that the people of Lagos State would enjoy a new lease of life. We however believe that there is no denying the fact that the last eight years have been very tough for the people of Nigeria owing to the harsh economic policies of the outgoing federal government.
This, by extension, affected the teeming residents of Lagos State, and theirs is even more complicated as the state has been under the rule of one individual directly and by proxy since 1999. We in the Lagos State PDP believe that hope is on the way for the residents of the state. We are not discouraged by the results of the last general elections; both at the federal and the state levels, as we believe that the right thing would soon be done, especially as our party is in courts to challenge the results of the elections. While the APC got to power in 2015 telling Nigerians that the PDP had destroyed Nigeria, we will like the people to take a retrospective look at the indices they mentioned then and compare and contrast what they are at the moment. What was the price of a litre of petrol in 2015 and what is it now? What were the prices of food items such as bags of garri, rice, beans and tubers of yams then and how much are they now? What was the exchange rate of naira to dollar in 2015 and what is it now?
As a party, the PDP will continue to serve the interest of residents of Lagos State and we are prepared to liberate our people from the shackles of the APC in the state. We can all see what the PDP is doing in Osun State, where Governor Ademola Adeleke has been making waves since he took over the mantle of leadership in the state. Apart from regular payment of salaries and implementation of people-oriented programmes, Governor Adeleke prevented the resident doctors in Osun State from joining the warning strike embarked upon by their colleagues all over the country by approving their allowances and all payments that other states are yet to approve. We hope to replicate things like this in Lagos State under our party.
The PDP looks forward to taking over the leadership of Lagos State very soon so that the residents of the state can start enjoying true governance. Time has indeed come for Lagosians to benefit from the wealth of their state and have a feel of true democracy under a PDP-led government. Residents of Lagos State cannot continue to suffer amidst plenty and the essence of democracy is for the people to be taken care of and allowed to benefit from the commonwealth of their state rather than watching a set of people mismanaging what God Almighty has endowed them with.
