LG Polls: PDP Files Petition

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, has filed a petition at the state’s Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the October 22 local government elections in the state.

Speaking on the petition, the chairman of the party in the  state, Setonji Koshoedo, said it wanted the law to take its course on the irregularities, which trailed the council election.

Koshedo added that it filed the petition amidst frustrations from the state government because the tribunal’s registry did not open the office until 10 November.

The party also said it kicked against the composition of the tribunal because of fears that the outcome of the judgment might be compromised to favour the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

His words,“We want Lagosians to be aware of this development in case they come up with their usual maradona political game. Lagos PDP has, therefore, no confidence in the trial of the council election petitions because the key members of the tribunal were either members of the ruling ACN or associates of the party.”

“The PDP in Lagos State wishes to alert the general public that the ruling ACN government in the state has perfected plans to stage a kangaroo tribunal over our complaints of irregularities in the last local government election in Lagos State. From all indications, the ACN in connivance with the state government are bent on scuttling a democratic process that could possibly address our complaints of fraud, going by the composition of the tribunal.

“The members are either officials of the state government or just too close to both the government and ACN. As such we do not hope to get true and fair justice because the outcome of the work of the tribunal are already predetermined.

“Otherwise, how come that the chairman of the tribunal is Justice Akinsanya, whose son is currently a special assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola and the Appeal Court Tribunal chairperson, Justice O.O. Oke, is such a close associate and confidant of the ACN and its leadership in Lagos State?

“They both are believed to be on a mission of future gratification. With this kind of composition, we cannot definitely think that there would be any justice over our complaints of election irregularities in the last local government election. These are serious issues that should challenge our collective conscience in the state to the reality that a lot is going wrong and unless we rise up against such crude politicking, then the future is bleak for democracy and indeed good governance,” he said.

While warning on the consequence of denying the PDP justice, he said the party would continue to fight until justice is done.