Appeal Court’s Ruling: We’re challenging Sanwo-Olu’s victory at S’Court- PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State says it has resolved to challenge the Appeal Court’s ruling, affirming Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as winner of the March 18 governorship election.

The Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Hakeem Amode, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

NAN recalls that the party had earlier said that it would review the ruling of the Appellate Court before taking further action on the matter.

According to him, justice has not been properly served in the PDP’s governorship candidate, Dr Olajide Adediran’s (Jandor) petitions against Sanwo-Olu’s re-election.

“We are challenging the ruling of the Appeal Court, affirming Sanwo-Olu as winner at the Supreme Court. In a couple of days, our petitions will get to the Supreme Court,” Amode said.

He said that the justices of the Court of Appeal had failed the party by not seeing the merit in Adediran’s petition.

“Looking at some of the Appeal Court’s rulings, there have been so many inconsistencies in its stand on pre-election matters.

“We, as a party, feel justice is yet to be served in our petitions against the outcome of the March 18 gubernatorial election in this state.

“We have a strong belief in the Supreme Court to look at the crux of the matter and make a statement that will serve as precedent.

“The party and our candidate are not deterred; we have reviewed the Nov. 15 Appeal Court’s ruling and decided to pursue justice at the Supreme Court,” Amode said.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Nov. 15 dismissed issues raised by the PDP’s Adediran and the Labour Party candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Viviour, against the judgment of the election tribunal.

The appellate court dismissed Adediran’s 34 grounds of appeal against Sanwo-Olu’s victory.

On the alleged non-qualification of Sanwo-Olu and his running mate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the court had ruled that it could not litigate the issue because it was a pre-election matter.

It held that the appellants failed to prove the allegation that Sanwo-Olu forged his West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) certificate.

The tribunal had earlier, on Sept. 25, dismissed Adediran and Rhodes-Viviour’s petition against Sanwo-Olu’s victory.

An appeal to the Supreme Court should be filed within 14 days from the date of the ruling, and the apex court then has 60 days to hear the case and make its ruling.