Bola Badmus- Lagos
A team of legal practitioners representing the Governorship Candidate of Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has dismissed claims by a former governorship aspirant, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, that he was the authentic party’s flagbearer recognised by the court for the upcoming 2023 election in the state.
The team of lawyers, including Olagbade Benson, Uchechukwu Ani and Kemi Afesojaye, made the clarification on Monday during a press briefing held in Ilupeju area of the state, saying that the affidavit being brandished by Awamaridi as the true position of the court that he had been certified as an authentic LP candidate for the election holding on Saturday were false and do not represent the judgements delivered by the court in the state.
This was just as the lawyers also faulted allegations made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olajide Adeniran popularly called Jandor that the LP candidate, Rhodes-Vivour had a case before court, saying the case brought against him by the PDP had been thrown out by the Federal High Court for lacking merit.
The lawyers stressed that there were two judgements, including that from the Federal High and Appeal Courts, affirming the candidature of Rhodes-Vivour as the bonafide standard-bearer of the party for the Saturday’s election.
According to Benson, in his address, anyone going around parading himself as the candidate of the party aside Rhodes-Vivour, and others alleging cases before the court on his LP candidature were those that are economical with the truth.
He said the aim behind such a claim by any individual was because he or she was 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 of non-withdrawal’ which was sent to INEC, stating that he 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 time allotted by the law on 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 further their claim after the FHC struck it out,” he said.
