International Criminal Court (The Court)
8 dead, 4 blinded, as Rhodes-Vivour drags Sanwo-Olu before ICC over election violence in Lagos, says governor ‘gave the order’
Labour Party (LP) candidate in the March 18 governorship election, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has lodged a petition at the International Criminal Court (ICC), also known as The Hague, in the Netherlands, as he blamed State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as well as, some non-state actors for the death of 8 people in the violence that took place during and after the 2023 polls.
The LP governorship candidate is seeking the International Criminal Court to open investigations into circumstances surrounding the death of the identified victims during the Nigerian elections between February 25 and March 18, this year.
Mr Rhodes-Vivour who listed the names of the victims in his petition is the second high-profile petitioner to approach the court seeking investigation into the violence that characterised the 2023 elections.
A Canada-based University of Calgary professor of AI and Law, Gideon Christian, had also, last Monday dragged some chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including the Director General of the Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Mr Bayo Onanuga, of making inciting hate statements against Igbo indigenes resident in Lagos leading to violent attacks on them.
Disclosing the petition via his Twitter handle (GRVlagos), Wednesday, Rhodes-Vivour vowed to ‘explore any and every option to bring justice for the 8 people that have died, the 4 that have lost their sight, the 23 people that have metal pellets in their body and the many, many others that were brutalized and disenfranchised.’
Also reacting to the acceptance speech by Governor Sanwo-Olu on receiving his Certificate of Return at the INEC office in the state, Rhodes-Vivour wrote: “Cut to the chase, please and just thank Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a. MC Oluomo, for using XENOPHOBIC VIOLENCE, MURDER and hate to “win” you the election.
“As a direct beneficiary of his vile actions, you must also face justice eventually. 8 people are dead so far, just because you wanted to retain a seat you didn’t even win and certainly don’t deserve, even after all the intimidation.
“But then again, you gave the order, didn’t you?”
Rhodes-Vivour’s petition before the ICC petition is titled; Complaint And A Request for the Initiation of an Investigation into Crimes Against Humanity in Nigeria Pursuant to Articles 13 (c ), 15 53 of Rome Statute, on the basis of Information on c rimes within the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.’
The letter listed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the LP governorship candidate, Mr Emmanuel Adegbeji, the Labour Party Election agent in Lagos; and other party members, including; Mr Ebere Chibedu, and Mr Austin Iruobe Asuenrimen, Mr Chukwudi, as petitioners.
The petition submitted by a legal counsel on behalf of the petitioners, was addressed to Mr Karim A.A Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and dated Monday, March 27.
