Obanikoro’​s victory: Politician​s in Lagos hail tribunal

October 05, 2012 15:48

Audio attached

Obanikoro’​s victory: Politician​s in Lagos hail tribunal

NAN-H-46

Judgment

Lagos, Oct. 5, 2012 (NAN) Politicians across party divides on Friday applauded the Lagos State Local Government Election Tribunal for declaring Mr Babajide Obanikoro (PDP), winner of the Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Area election.

 

The election was conducted in October 2011.

 

The politicians, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, described the judgment as ``victory for democracy and for the people’’.

 

NAN reports that Obanikoro had challenged the election of Adewale Adeniji of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), alleging that the election was manipulated.

 

But the five-man tribunal headed by retired Justice Dolapo Akinsanya, unturned Adenjiji’s election.

 

The tribunal held that from the evidence before it, Obanikoro of the PDP won the election by 6,780 votes as against 6,248 polled by ACN candidate.

 

Reacting to the judgment, the Lagos State Chairman of PDP, Chief Olatunji Shelle, told NAN that the party was happy with the judgment.

 

He commended the tribunal for doing a good job and for declaring Obanikoro winner of the election.

 

Cue-in audio (Shelle) 1

 

`` We are happy as a party because we know that we actually worked for that victory; we won in the first instance convincingly. Unfortunately, the chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission decided not to rely on the result.

 

``He announced a different result. And this goes to mind that such a person should not be placed in place of authority in future; he should not be seen handling a very sensitive issue. So, he should be investigated because he did a bad job. ‘’

 

Cue-out audio (Shelle) 1

 

However, Mr Charles Odugbesi, ACN’s Publicity Secretary in the state, told NAN that the party was not happy with the judgments and that it would appeal against it.

 

Cue-in audio (Odugbesi) 2

 

``They have given their own judgment; no problem about that; since we are not happy about it, we will go for appeal.''

Cue-out audio (Odugbesi) 2

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Chief Ajibade Emi-Abatta, also commended the tribunal for doing a good job.

 

Emi-Abatta, however, applauded the state independent electoral commission for being ‘’liberal’’.

 

Cue-in audio (Emi-Abatta) 3

 

``Of all the state electoral commissions, Lagos State is still the most liberal; I have monitored what has happened in PDP states that Lagos State is even having PDP participating in the grass root government.

 

``Even me as a CPC, I am still participating in the grass root government.

 

``Since ACN says they are appealing that case, but in all honesty, I love the judgment; it goes a long way to say we still have judiciary in place in Lagos State.’’

 

Cue-out audio (Emi-Abatta) 3

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