APC dares Rhodes-Vivour to go to court over Lagos results

Lagos Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos has asked the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the March 18 governorship election in the state, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, to challenge the outcome of the poll if unhappy with the victory of the incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

State’s Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC, who disclosed this in a statement, Thursday, also told the LP candidate to stop what the party called ‘his immature grandstanding.’

The party also accused Gbadebo of ‘incitement and call for anarchy because he lost an election,’ as it wondered why ‘the law enforcement agencies have not invited him for questioning.’

APC Lagos further dismissed the gesture of the LP candidate who had offered to foot the hospital bills of the victims of election violence in the state, as it claimed that ‘it was convenient to ignore incidents of violent attacks and killings of the APC supporters across the state and play the victim by allegedly visiting unidentifiable and unverifiable patients.’

“Our attention has been drawn to the latest of the now familiar vituperations from the stable of the defeated Lagos state Labour Party gubernatorial candidate, Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour.

“It’s baffling that rather than tender profuse apologies to Lagosians whose sensibilities he assaulted in the months leading to the elections by campaigning on unpretentious hate, religious bigotry and tribal rhetorics, he has refused to be sober and still has the effrontery to play the victim.

‘It’s baffling that the law enforcement agencies have not invited him for questioning for his incitement and call for anarchy because he lost an election.

“We found it amazing that his understanding of justice and fairness is when he wins an election by merely leveraging on opportunism and unsustainable spur of the moment.

“During the electioneering campaign, Lagosians laboured in vain to identify his selling points, pedigree and the substance of his manifestos.

“The reality remains that a campaign based on blind, uninformed and bitter criticism of the ruling party without a credible alternative could only end in failure.

“He failed to discern the political sophistication of the largely civilized Lagos voters who were able to successfully draw a line between political choices, religious beliefs and tribal sentiments which were the kernels of Rhodes-Vivour campaign.

“It’s now clear to all and sundry that his interpretation of free and fair elections is only when he wins. This is consistent with the position of his principal, Peter Obi, who has successfully hypnotized his minority followers.

“It was convenient to ignore incidents of violent attacks and killings of the APC supporters across the state and play the victim by allegedly visiting unidentifiable and unverifiable patients.

“By voting Tinubu, Nigerians have opted for a prepared Presidency that can only usher in unprecedented development, peace and the restoration of our place of pride in the comity of nations.

“Perhaps we need to wake you up to the reality that the elections are over. True Lagosians will not appreciate further distractions from you as Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu focuses on finishing strong and prepares for a greater Lagos in the next dispensation.

“You may, however, wish to approach the courts and put a stop to this immature grandstanding.”

The Labour Party in Lagos has continuously claimed that both the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as the March 18 governorship and state Assembly poll were massively rigged, as it maintains that the margin of victory recorded in the first exercise was trimmed to cut the gap with which it won, the second poll was massively doctored, in addition to alleged voter suppression, intimidation, and violent attacks.

LP’s position is also corroborated by some foreign observer missions which monitored both elections in the state.

So far, candidates of the Labour Party (LP) in the just-concluded National and State Assembly elections in Lagos have filed 26 separate petitions at the State Elections Tribunal challenging the outcome of the polls, which they allege was fraught with irregularities.

The LP candidates are also seeking the nullification of the March 18 exercise.

While some of the candidates are challenging the February 25 Senatorial and House of Representatives elections, others filed petitions in the state House of Assembly poll of March 18.

The petitions were pasted on the wall of the Rosaline Omotosho Courthouse Ikeja, venue of the tribunal sitting in Lagos State.

In one of the petitions, the candidates of the Labour Party for the House of Representatives in about seven constituencies in Lagos are challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the declared winner of each constituency.

The candidates are challenging the winners of Oshodi-Isolo, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Shomolu, Mushin and Ikorodu.

In petitions filed by their counsel, Wakeel Olawale-Liady, the petitioners are challenging the INEC for non- compliance with the provision of Electoral Act 2022. They alleged that INEC unlawfully excluded them from the election held on February 25 for the national assembly.

However, in the petition filed by Adeola Adebanjo and the Labour Party against the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajaabiamila, the petitioner alleged that INEC failed to comply with the provisions of the law.

For Ikeja federal constituency, Mutiu Okunola and Labour Party are challenging the declaration of James Faleke as winner of the election on the grounds that the election was invalid for non-compliance with the provision of the act.

He prayed the court for a declaration that the election conducted by INEC in respect of the constituency seat held on February 25, was marred by substantial irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act and guidelines.

He also prayed the court to nullify the election and order a fresh one.