LAGOS, Nigeria — The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor and that of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, to join hands with him to serve the people of the state.
The governor urged them to display spirit of sportsmanship and accept the verdict of the tribunal in good faith.
He said that he was ready to sit with them and have conversations around their ideas on the development of the state.
Sanwo-Olu was reacting to the State Governorship Election Tribunal’s judgment, which went in his favour.
The Tribunal, on Monday, dismissed separate petitions filed by Adediran and Rhodes-Vivour challenging the outcome of the March 18 governorship election in the state, in which the governor who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“I still want to give an opportunity to opposition parties’ candidates that contested against us to join hands with us if they share the same passion and commitment that we have to serve. We are ready to sit with them and have conversation around what ways they can channel their ideas in the development of the State. Lagos is big and its challenges are real, while its opportunities are boundless. There is always a room for everybody to contribute,” a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Gboyega Akosile, quoted him as saying.
He described the verdict as “well thought-out and detailed”, noting that the court decision further affirmed judiciary’s commitment to the principle of fairness and justice.”
While dedicating the judgment to all residents of the state, Sanwo-Olu stated that there was no victor or vanquished.
He said: “I am glad to announce the information I have just received that Lagos Election Petition Tribunal judgements have been given in our favour. I commend the judiciary and the judges that delivered the well thought-out and detailed judgments. They took their time to explain to everyone the reasons that led them to the views and conclusion they gave today. We thank the judges for their firm commitment to principle of fairness and justice.
“As it is, Mr Deputy and I feel very privileged to have been elected to serve at this important moment in the history of our State. We thank all Lagosians for standing by us all through this journey. For us, this judgement is a victory for all. We are not coming out here to say somebody won or lost. For all of us on this political trajectory, there are no winners or losers.
“For us, our aim in governance is about service and ensuring that we are not distracted from all the promises we made to Lagosians. This judgement has given us the opportunity to double up our interventions to ensure that we continue to deliver quality dividends of democracy to our citizens.”
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