1st July, 2015
Jamiu Yisa
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has condemned the ruling of the governorship election petitions tribunal which struck out its petition against Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, describing the ruling as a miscarriage of justice and a “monumental drawback in the dispensation of justice.”
Early today, an election tribunal struck out the party’s petition challenging the victory of the Lagos State Governor in the April 11 governorship election.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muhhamed Sirajo, ruled on the case after Ambode’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, requested that the tribunal should strike out the petition for being incompetent, bringing to an end to the tribunal sitting that started in May.
The party in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, decided to appeal the ruling while also considering a report of the “obvious miscarriage of justice by the election petitions panel” to the National Judicial Council for necessary disciplinary actions.
“The governorship election tribunal that sat at Ikeja had today (Wednesday) struck out the petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje. The three-man panel tribunal described the petition as worthless because it did not contain a relief for re-run election,” the statement read.
“It would be recalled that the PDP recently raised its hope of winning the petition based on the recent judgment by an Edo election petitions tribunal which declared a PDP candidate as winner of the election because the All Progressives Congress did not meet up with the provisions of the electoral act on notice of conduct of party primary. We are very jolted and embarrassed that our petition can die prematurely without it being heard on the merit. We think there is a miscarriage of justice here.”
The party alleged foul play by the APC in influencing the decision of the panel, arguing that Ambode’s nomination as a governorship candidate is invalid.
“They (APC) must have influenced this step knowing well that governor Ambode’s nomination is invalid and not qualified to be a valid candidate for the election. They robbed us at the ballots. They want to do same at the tribunal. We will pursue this mandate even with the last drop of our blood,” Gani stated.