Don’t lose hope, Lagos PDP urges members

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has urged its members to be hopeful and not be discouraged by the judgment of the Supreme Court.

The party also assured its supporters that there are greater opportunities in the future for the party.

The party stated this in a statement released on Saturday signed by its Publicity Secretary, Hakeem Amode.

This call is coming after the verdict of the Supreme Court which affirmed the re-election of the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday.

Following the announcement of Sanwo-Olu as the winner of the 2023 governorship election in the state, the PDP governorship candidate, Abdulazeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, filed a petition before the state governorship election tribunal where he called for the disqualification of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party, Sanwo-Olu and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for “non-compliance” with the Electoral Act 2022 and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated April 7, the PDP and Jandor noted that APC failed to comply with the INEC timetable.

However, the Tribunal affirmed the re-election of Sanwo-Olu and dismissed his petition.

But dissatisfied with the verdict, Jandor filed an appeal challenging the judgment of the state Election Petitions Tribunal.

He filed the appeal together with his party, PDP before the state’s Court of Appeal and contended that the name Sanwo-Olu submitted to INEC was different from that contained in his WAEC certificate.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the case and affirmed Sanwo-Olu’s election victory.

He alongside his party, the PDP proceeded to the Supreme Court to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal.

However, the apex court dismissed the appeal, describing it as “academic”.

Reacting to the judgment, the party said it is concluding matters related to the election and called on its members and supporters to not lose faith in the party.

The statement read, “We Are Not Discouraged By Supreme Court Judgment” “Following the Supreme Court’s verdict on the 2023 Governorship Election in Lagos State, which our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contested, we are officially concluding all matters related to the election.

“In light of this, we appeal to the residents of the state and our numerous supporters to maintain optimism, as we firmly believe that there will always be another opportunity.

“As a party committed to democratic principles, the PDP has no option but to move forward after the highest court has issued a conclusive judgment on the matter.

“Our candidate in the election, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran aka Jandor, has shared his perspective on the judgment and has even extended congratulations to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, whose victory has been affirmed by the court.

“We remain dedicated to fostering a thriving democracy, and we will refrain from any actions that undermine the hard-fought gains achieved during the military era.

“The Lagos State chapter of the PDP believes that if given the opportunity to serve the people, we have more comprehensive programmes for the residents compared to the current offerings.

“We firmly hold that Lagos State residents should not endure hardship amidst abundance, and we are confident that another chance to serve will emerge in the near future. We will not allow this momentary setback to dampen our spirits.

“Lagos, as a metropolitan state and the commercial center of Nigeria, holds a prominent position nationally and competes with some African countries in terms of GDP, population, and developmental indicators.”

The party, however, disclosed that despite losing the election, its candidate will always be available for public services.

“Our candidate, Jandor, remains committed to public service and will continue to make himself available whenever the need arises.

“There will always be another opportunity, and we will not let this temporary setback hinder our pursuit of making Lagos State an egalitarian society with equal opportunities for everyone.

“We also want to express our gratitude to everyone who supported us before, during, and after the election. We thank all PDP members in Lagos State, our supporters, market men and women, business people, traders, journalists, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and many others for their unwavering support.

“Your dedication during the campaigns, at the polls, and throughout the legal proceedings has not gone unnoticed. You have shown us that you are dependable, and we are not alone in our quest for the kind of society we deserve in the state.

“May we also use this opportunity to urge you all to vote for the candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming election into the Surulere Federal Constituency 1 in the House of Representatives to fill the seat left by the former speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.”