‘Worried About What?’-Sanwo-Olu’s Aide Says Lagos Gov Not Bothered About LP Going To Court

Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has told THE WHISTLER that the governor is not bothered about the Labour Party’s (LP) intention to challenge the results of the March 18 governorship election in the state.

Sanwo-Olu was in the early hours of Monday declared winner of the governorship election in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 762,134 votes to defeat the candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran (Jandor), who got 312,329 and 62,449 votes, respectively.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the LP Chairman in Lagos, Dayo Ekong (Mrs), had said that the party will challenge the results of the election.

Ekong alleged that the election was not free and fair, adding that the LP in the state will do anything possible to get justice.

She said: “Ballot boxes were snatched and burnt; all manner of evil things happened. There was no credibility. It was not free, we will seek redress. Whatever it takes for us to get justice, we will do.

“The party would petition INEC, the police and the military over brutal attacks on some LP members. If the Lagos election goes unchallenged, it would set a bad precedent, urging the youth not to give up.”

Ekong told THE WHISTLER on Thursday that the party will be challenging issues around violence and voter intimidation, which resulted in low turnout of voters during the election.

“There was voter apathy, people got tired of the attacks and everything. So these are things that are in the Electoral Act that must be addressed. It must be addressed,” she said.

But speaking with THE WHISTLER, Akosile said that if the party and its governorship candidate, Rhodes-Vivour feel aggrieved, it is okay for them to go to court.

According to him, the governor and his team are not thinking about the election or anything else, but governance.

“He (Sanwo-Olu) is not worried. Why should he be worried? Worried about what? About that somebody is going to court,” Akosile asked rhetorically.

“We’re not even thinking about anything again. We’re not thinking about him (Rhodes-Vivour). We’re not thinking about the election. We brought out a statement saying that elections are over and that we’ve moved on to governance.”

Meanwhile, the Head, Media and Communications JANDOR4Governor Campaign Organisation, Gbenga Ogunleye, has said the PDP governorship candidate is still consulting on whether to challenge the outcome of the governorship election in the state or not.

“Well, he’ll respond at the appropriate time. Still consulting,” Ogunleye told THE WHISTLER on Thursday when asked if his principal will challenge the outcome of the governorship election.

The Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections in the state were characterized by violence, massive low turnout of voters, voter intimidation and voter suppression. There were reports of violence in Amuwo Odofin, Oshodi-Isolo, Ojo LGAs, among others.

There were also lots of ethnic slurs before, during and after the elections, which has led to tensions rising in the state.