Emmanuel Thomas
July 1, 2015 – The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Lagos State has condemned the ruling of the Governorship election petition tribunal which struck out its petition and in the process affirming the victory of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode during the election.
The Party described the ruling as a miscarriage of justice and a monumental draw back in the dispensation of justice.
“It has consequently decided to appeal the ruling whilst also considering a report of the obvious miscarriage of Justice by the Election Petition Panel to the NJC for necessary disciplinary actions.
The governorship election tribunal sitting at Ikeja had today struck out a petition filed by PDP and her Candidate, Jimi Agbaje. The three Man Panel Tribunal described the Petition as worthless because it did not contain a relief for re-run election.
It would be recalled that the PDP recently raised her hope of winning the petition based on the recent judgment of an Edo Election Petition tribunal which declared a PDP candidate as winner of the election because the APC 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 been heard on the merit. We think there is a miscarriage of justice here. We are interested in the motive and motivators. The Panel held that it had jurisdiction to hear our appeal; that our grounds are also competent. It however held that the petition had no life because it didn’t include a relief for re-election!
“This is supposed to be determined during the proper trial. In any case, we put as relief a declaration that we be returned as validly elected. The Panel cannot dictate to us what relief to demand. Why should the Panel even expect a relief for re-rerun instead of declaration as winner?”, the PDP said, stressing that It will not allow this miscarriage.
“Is this the change APC wants to give us in the judiciary. They must have influenced this step knowing well that governor Ambode’s nomination is invalid and not qualified to be a valid candidate for the elections. They rob 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”, the party said.
It encouraged her members and lagosians not to be demoralised by the ruling, stressing that the verdict will be upturned on appeal.
