Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday described the Supreme Court ruling upholding his victory at the April 11, 2015 governorship election as a welcome development, saying that the people’s mandate which was expressly demonstrated on Election Day has been reaffirmed by the highest court in the land.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, also described the verdict as the final nail in the coffin of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, Ambode said the decision of the Supreme Court has put all issues of election matters to rest once and for all.
“Our Government is thus poised without further delay to provide the needed leadership to justify the confidence reposed in us, especially with the ruling coming in the wake of the swearing-in of members of the State Executive Council,” the governor said.
He also commended the judiciary for its consistency, saying that “the ruling has further proven the judiciary to be the critical institution that could further deepen our democratic values”.
Obasa in his reaction stated that the court verdict has put the final legal seal on the victory of the governor in particular and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in general in the election.
“That the people of Lagos love Ambode and APC is not in doubt. Thus this Supreme Court victory is a final legal seal in the victory of our governor and the party at large,” he said.
Obasa congratulated the Governor and the party on the victory noting that it is the right tonic for the newly sworn-in executive council members to begin their work.
PDP candidate in the last general elections, Jimi Agbaje, filed a petition at the Election Petitions Tribunal challenging Ambode’s victory at the April 11, 2015 polls.
The Tribunal had on Wednesday, July 1, struck out the petition following a preliminary objection filed by Ambode’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).
Named as respondents were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ambode, the APC and INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State.
The Appeal Court on August 26 upheld the ruling and also ordered the PDP candidate to compensate each of the respondents with the sum of N50,000 each.
