Deacon Segun Adewale the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Lagos West in the February 25 general election, has faulted the National Assembly Election Tribunal ruling of August 4th,2023 stating that the merit of the case was ignored for baseless and unconstitutional technicalities, with a vow to challenge the verdict of the tribunal.
Adewale in an attempt to debunk negative narrative in the media that he abandoned the petition at a press conference he jointly addressed along with his lead counsel Barrister Edmund Biriomoni, Prince Anjous Babatunde PDP’s collation agent and star witness at the Tribunal, Nze Chibuzor Director South East Affairs Segun Adewale Political Dynasty and Mr. Alabi Shittu.
“The report in the media said that I abandoned my petition at the tribunal, so, I have to correct the negative narrative that is going on. We never abandoned the petition because our petition is strong and we have a reason why we should not give it up.”
He queried the logicality of the tribunal’s stance citing that the litigation had been sustained financially by loyal Lagos West electorates who voted enmasse for him.
“We won the election; I was robbed and we have evidence to show that we won the election. Apart from that, the person representing APC is not qualified academically to run for office. So, there is no reason for me to give up. The narrative in the newspaper is wrong.
“The judgement came to us as a shock because we have all the necessary details that will give us victory, but the judge ruled on technicalities which is not in tandem with the constitution, people are the ones paying to sustain this litigation, so I can’t abandon it.
“It is disheartening and equally appalling that in Nigeria someone will steal your mandate and still go to Church to celebrate, when such a ought to just keep quiet, having bought the judiciary and INEC, that is why she is sleeping in the parliament, she does not deserve it.
“I am really upset; how can she be tweeting that she won when she was defeated right in her polling unit? Their party leader Tinubu is just promoting nuisance everywhere, she did not even campaign knowing she will be rigged in.
“I don’t know how filling early could amount to a crime, the barrage of calls from people saying I have abandoned the mandate freely given to me and that I was paid by APC to do so informs this, I can’t betray my party and people supporting me, we never at any point abandoned the petition.
“The APC candidate Mrs. Idiat Adebule ought to bury her head in shame now owing to the odds against her.
Also speaking at the media parley Barrister Biriomoni noted that at no point did filing early vitiates the court proceeding adding that the appellate court will be the next port of call to redress the wrongs.
These are the issues that form our grounds for approaching the appellate court.
“The details of our appeal would not be made known to the press but for the appellate jurisdiction to look at what we have brought before the court.
“What we are pursuing is justice and we believe that the substantive matter which was dismissed should be heard and determined on its merit not be aborted on grounds technicality.
“In this instance, our position is paragraph 18 (1) of the Electoral Act which states that you have to appeal and there is a consequence for not filing within seven days or not filing at all. But there are no consequences for filing early and the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal have all said the same thing.
“But for a petitioner to have filed early, it should not vitiate the proceedings because it means that the petitioner is diligent to prosecute his petition.
“I strongly believe that the Court of Appeal would do justice to the matter. I strongly believe that we will go back to the tribunal for the tribunal to determine the matter based on its merit.” Biriomoni reiterates.
The star witness Prince Babatunde was quick to add that the PDP as a party is solidly behind their candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District Deacon Adewale in a bid to retrieve his stolen mandate.
“We at the PDP align with our candidate as it was glaring that Lagos West electorates voted for him enmasse, we will go the whole hog to reclaim our stolen mandate.”
