Dr. Olajide Adediran, renowned as Jandor, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Lagos State governorship election held on March 18, 2023, has asserted that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) failed to adhere to the stipulations of the Electoral Act during their individual primary processes.
Jandor made these allegations in an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, shedding light on perceived irregularities within the political landscape of Lagos State. The PDP candidate has drawn attention to what he claims are violations of electoral guidelines by the ruling APC and the Labour Party during their respective primary elections.
He said: “In our case, we have submitted before the tribunal that these two political parties [APC and LP] did not comply with the provisions of that law, and throughout the trial, they did not submit anything to contradict that position, including calling witnesses and others.
“Secondly, according to the Electoral Act, for a primary election to be held, there must be a notification or communication from the political party to INEC that will speak about the date and venue, which must be authorized by the national body of the party (NEC).
“The two political parties did not comply with this because the notification they sent to INEC was signed by the state chapter of the party, which is in contradiction to their provision. Failure to do that means your candidate will not be included in that election; it’s clearly in the electoral act.”
Speaking further, Jandor urged the election tribunal to disqualify the candidates of the APC and LP.
“At this point, the job is already done; the facts are before the court, and there’s nothing to add or remove. Our petition is premised on the disqualification of both candidates.
“Elections in Nigeria are held under certain rules provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Part of these rules is that whoever wants to run for the office of governor, especially in Lagos State or any other state in Nigeria, must be a member of a political party who must sponsor such a person for that election.
“That is Section 177 (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Sponsorship includes holding a valid primary and making sure such a candidate did not submit falsified information or documents to INEC. That is taken care of by Section 182 of the Constitution.”
The assertions made by Jandor underline the heightened scrutiny surrounding electoral processes and the adherence to established regulations. As the political discourse unfolds, these allegations have further amplified the ongoing discussions about electoral transparency and integrity in Lagos State
The Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal has set aside Saturday, August 12 for the adoption of final written addresses in the petitions submitted by Jandor and the PDP, and Rhodes-Vivour of the LP.