The legal team of the Governorship Candidate of Labour Party, LP, in Lagos State, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has stated that their client continues to be the party’s legitimate standard bearer in the state.
Three recent court challenges filed against Rhodes-Vivour’s candidacy were dismissed, according to Mr. Olagbade Benson, the lead solicitor for the client, who spoke to reporters in Lagos.
Benson led two other attorneys, Uchechukwu Ani and Kemi Afesojaye, in the briefing and pointed out that Ifagbemi Awamaridi, a former LP chairman and contender for governor of Lagos, had falsely claimed to have a strong case against Rhodes-Vivour.
Benson said that the affidavit being brandished by Awamaridi as the true position of the court that he had been certified as an authentic Labour party candidate was fake.
He claimed that the affidavit did not accurately reflect the rulings made by the state’s court.
Benson stated that there were two decisions, including those from the Federal High and Appeal Courts, confirming Rhodes-Vivour’s candidacy as the party’s legitimate standard bearer for the election on Saturday.
The attorney said that the Federal Supreme Court had dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party’s lawsuit against Rhodes-Vivour because it lacked validity.
He said, “Anyone going around parading himself as the candidate of the party, aside Rhodes-Vivour, and others alleging cases before the court on the LP candidature are misleading the public.”
He said the aim behind such a claim by any individual is because they were afraid of Rhodes-Vivour and believed that misleading the public, especially the electorate, before the election on March 18 was the best strategy to adopt.
“Our attention has been drawn to an affidavit dated 5th August 2022, tagged Affidavit on non-withdrawal which was sent to INEC, stating that he (Awamaridi) was yet to step down from his role as Labour Party candidate.
“But after, Awamaridi filed a suit before the Federal High Court with No: FHC/ABJ/1463/2022, challenging the candidature of the LP candidate where he sued INEC, the party and Rhodes-Vivour.
“On the 8th of December, the Federal High Court considered the case and struck it out. Anyone that is interested can apply for the judgement because it is a public document.
“And because he felt that the judgement did not go in his favour, he headed to the Appeal court.
“And on February 2nd, 2023, the Appellate court terminated Awamaridi’s case and it was based on the fact that it was filed out of the time allotted by the law or pre-electoral matters.
“Also, the PDP filed a suit challenging his candidature and that matter was struck out at the Federal High Court on December 8th, 2022. And the opposition party did not pursue their claim after the FHC struck it out,” Benson said.
Publisher,
Lagos Post Online,
Lagos Post is an online publication that seeks to provide fair, unbiased, credible, balanced and useful information about Corporate Organisations, Governments and the General Public by breaking news in Business, Politics, Arts, Entertainment, Culture, and Sports in Nigeria, Africa and the World. As a global news portal, we continually stand for responsible journalism and sound media practice.
Mobile: +238025837037
Email: lagospostng@gmail.com
