The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), have submitted a petition before the Lagos governorship election petitions tribunal asking for the disqualification of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (of Labour Party) for claiming “under oath to having registered as a member of the Labour Party” while still a PDP member.

The petitioners hinged the disqualification of Mr Rhodes-Vivour on his non-compliance of the party with the requirements of the electoral law in the conduct of the primary election that produced the Labour Party candidate.

Mr Adediran and PDP said Labour issued the notice of the primary election against the provision that it must be issued and signed by the national chairman and secretary of the party.

The petitioners mentioned that Labour used statutory delegates who are members of the Lagos EXCO/caretaker committee in its substitution primary election on August 10, 2022, contrary to the provision of the Electoral Act 2022.

The petitioners also established that Form EC9 for Mr Rhodes-Vivour was signed under oath and submitted to INEC on July 4, 2022, exactly 37 days before the holding of the substitution primary election on August 10, 2022, that produced him as the candidate of the Labour Party.

“This makes his nomination invalid. Furthermore, Rhodes-Vivour was still a member of PDP as of June 18, 2022, when he claimed, again under oath to having registered as a member of the Labour Party. Documentary evidence and newspaper report establishing his participation in the screening exercise for the running mate to the governorship candidate of the Lagos PDP, Dr Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR), on June 22, 2022 was provided in the petition,” the petition noted.

The petition added that in line with the provision of the Electoral Act, the “candidate for the office of governor of Lagos state is not allowed to be a member of more than one political party” at the time of being sponsored as a candidate for the general election. 

“Therefore, his (Mr Rhodes-Vivour) nomination is invalid,” PDP and Mr Adediran asserted.

Mr Adediran and PDP urged the tribunal to declare all the votes cast for APC and Labour Party in the March 18 governorship poll “as wasted votes” since their candidates were not qualified to participate.

The petitioners added that since PDP scored the third-highest number of votes in the election and having satisfied the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, Mr Adediran (Jandor) of the PDP was the validly qualified candidate to be returned as the winner of the election.

In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated April 7, the petitioners challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election on the grounds of substantial non-compliance with the electoral law and the Independent National Electoral Commission guidelines.

(NAN)