Abdul-azeez Adediran, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, has rejected the ruling of the election petition tribunal affirming Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the governor of the state.

On Monday, the tribunal dismissed the case filed by Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, as lacking in merit.

Reacting to the ruling, Adediran said the tribunal refused to accept the credible and convincing evidence presented by his legal team on the non-qualifications of candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) in the election.

He said that the decision of the tribunal did not reflect the provisions of the constitution of Nigeria, assuring that “Lagos PDP will study the judgement and decide on the next step to be taken”.

“This is not the end of the electoral process, it is just another stage. We will study the judgement and take decisions in the best interest of Lagosians,” he said.

In the unanimous ruling, Abdullahi said the petitioner failed to convince the court that Sanwo-Olu did not attend Community Grammar School, Ijebu-Ife, the institution, where the certificate came from.

The Deputy Governor of Ondo state, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approached the state High Court, sitting in Akure, to stop the impeachment process initiated by the State House of Assembly against him.

In the suit number, Suit No. AK/348/2023, filed on Monday, by Mr Ebun Adenoruwa SAN, the embattled deputy governor, asked the court to stop the impeachment process against him pending the hearing and determination of the suit that he has filed in court.

The state house of assembly began the process of impeachment of the deputy governor, last week, as it wrote a letter to Aiyedatiwa, over an allegation of gross misconduct, while he was in office as an acting governor.

Defendants in the suit include the Ondo State Government, the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Olumide Oladiji, the Clerk of Ondo State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of Ondo State.

In the originating summons, the deputy governor was seeking an ” injunction restraining the defendants and their agents, privies and representatives from interfering with, restricting, disempowering and/or preventing the claimant from discharging his constitutional duties and functions as the duly elected deputy governor of Ondo State in a joint and equal ticket with the governor of the Ondo State.

He also sought “an order forthwith reinstating/restoring the total rights and privileges attached or accruing to the office of the Claimant as duly elected Deputy Governor of Ondo State which include, but not limited to the restoration of all media aides and press crew attached to the office of the claimant as Deputy Governor of Ondo State.

Aiyedatiwa sought “an order setting aside any purported process or notice of any allegation of Gross Misconduct against the Claimant on the ground that such process or notice is a violation of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Lagos Governorship Election Tribunal has dismissed the petition brought by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the Labour Party (LP), separating it from the case initiated by Olajide Adediran, also known as Jandor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Jandor had contested the results of the March 18 gubernatorial election in Lagos State, challenging the victory of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.

Justice Mikhail Abdullah made this announcement while delivering judgment on the objections raised by the respondents in the case.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Arum Ashom, revealed that the court would first render a judgment in the PDP’s case and then proceed to deliver a judgment in the petition lodged by the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

He also indicated that his fellow bench member, Justice Mikail Abdullahi, would read the judgment on behalf of the panel.