Apex Court’s verdict, victory for democracy – Sanwo-Olu; Tinubu congratulates Lagos Governor; PDP’s Jandour declares ‘ceasefire’ 

President Bola Tinubu, Friday, in Abuja, congratulated Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on the validation of his electoral victory by the Supreme Court.

This is as Governor Sanwo-Olu hailed the ruling of the apex Court, which, he said, revalidated the position of Lagosians who freely cast their ballots on March 18, 2023.

The Governor said the judicial victory will spur his government to continue on the trajectory of progress that it started in 2019, which has resulted in many achievements across many areas.

Sanwo-Olu, in his reaction to the Supreme Court ruling, made available to journalists on Friday, said the victory is not just for himself and his deputy, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat but for the rule of law, for democracy and the entire people of Lagos State.

 “Like I said in my acceptance speech after the results of the election were declared, there was no victor or vanquished. Our approach to governance since May 29, 2019, is a clear example of inclusive governance, which we believe in and stand for.  I, therefore, invite those who are still standing on the fence to show their love for our dear state by joining the train of progressive governance. We do not profess a monopoly of ideas.

“Today’s judicial pronouncement, like those of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Lagos, have buoyed our confidence in the country’s judicial system. We do not take it for granted.

“I commend the judges for the well-thought-out and detailed judgment. They explained the reasons that led them to their conclusions today. We thank the Supreme Court judges, as well as the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal judges for their firm commitment to the principle of fairness and justice.

“I thank my political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), that gave us the opportunity to fly its flag at the March 18, 2023 governorship election. I commend all the party leaders and members for working tirelessly to ensure APC’s victory at the polls.

“I want to specially commend the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for deepening the country’s democracy,” the Governor said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that the ruling of the apex court, which has ended the judicial process on the governorship election, will motivate his administration to continue to deliver more dividends of democracy to Lagos citizens – in line with the THEMES+ developmental agenda.

He said: “Mr. Deputy Governor and I feel very privileged to have been elected to serve at this auspicious moment in the history of our State. We thank all Lagosians for standing by us all through this journey.

“Let me reiterate that this judicial victory will spur our government to continue on the trajectory of progress that we started in 2019, which has resulted in many achievements across many areas of lives.

“For us, our aim in governance is about service and ensuring that we are not distracted from all the promises we made to our people. The judgement will now allow us to accelerate our interventions to ensure that we continue to deliver more dividends of democracy to our citizens – in line with our THEMES+ developmental agenda.”

PDP’s Jandor congratulates Sanwo-Olu

By Adeyemi Adeleye

Lagos, Jan. 12, 2024

The  Lagos State  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 governorship candidate,  Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor) has congratulated Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu over his victory at the Supreme Court on Friday.

Adediran, in a statement personally addressed to Lagos residents after the apex court dismissed his appeal on Friday, said it was time to cease fire.

According to him, though he is disappointed by the Supreme Court ruling upholding Sanwo-Olu’s re-election, it is time for him to move forward.

“I also use this opportunity to congratulate  Sanwo Olu. I wish him a peaceful, development and people-focused tenure,” he said.

The PDP candidate appreciated the people and the party for the privilege to offer himself to serve as the governor of the state in the 2023 governorship election.

“We have expressed our reservation on the conduct and the outcome of the election.

“This,  we did,  by taking advantage of the provisions of the constitution and the electoral law to file petition at the election tribunal through to the Appeal court and finally, the Supreme Court.

“This is not the outcome we envisaged or worked so hard for.

“But I am very proud of the values we share and the vision we hold for our dear state. And for the very robust, vast, diverse, people-centered and rural-network campaign that we built and executed together.

“I know how disappointed you are with the outcomes of the election because I feel it too.

“The frustration, intimidation, and betrayals but our disappointment must be overcome by our love for our dear state,” Adediran said.

According to him, since the election is over, and all avenues to seek redress for observed electoral wrongdoing have been exhausted, we need to cease fire.

“We need to  let the declared winner govern on the basis of his vision for the development of our state.

“Let the electorate be the judge of their performance.

“This will not in any way, deter me from continuing to contribute my quota to the development of our dear state and toward achieving the desired economic emancipation and a breath of fresh air in governance for our people.

“I appreciate you all for your faith and trust in me. I thank our party faithful and all lovers of Lagos PDP for their dedication and hard work during and after the elections.

“I urge you not to relent in your support for our quest for a greater Lagos .”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that LP’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and PDP’s Adediran (Jandor) had approached the apex court to challenge Sanwo-Olu’s victory in the election.

The LP candidate urged the Supreme Court to hold that the March 18 election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

He also added that the Lagos state deputy governor was not qualified to contest the election.

Similarly, Adediran filed 34 grounds of appeal, asking the apex court to upturn the verdict of the Lagos State governorship election tribunal and the court of appeal.

The apex court in a unanimous decision on Friday, upheld Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected governor of Lagos state.

The Court dismissed the appeals of LP’s Rhodes-Vivour and PDP’s Adediran for lacking in merit and a gross abuse of court process.