Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour Rejects Lagos Governorship Election Results – Vows To Challege It In Court

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has vowed to challenge the results of Saturday’s election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In a series of tweets on Sunday, The Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr Rhodes-Vivour said he is convinced that he won the election and vows to challenge the results in court.

According to his words; “In the light of this, I am convinced beyond any doubt that the results being released by INEC do not represent the wishes of the majority of peaceful Lagosians,” he tweeted.

“More so the results from our field agents and situation room indicated that we won this election. I am a champion of the people, we are far from done. Do not lose hope, do not waver. This is not over, we have not come this far to accept outright lies, criminality and falsehoods. A fight for freedom is never easily won,” he wrote.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is seeking re-election, was officially declared the winner of the poll, he has so far secured the highest number of votes in 18 of 20 local government areas in the state. The incumbent governor polled the highest votes in Ikeja, Apapa, Badagry, Lagos Island, Epe, Agege, Ibeju-lekki, Kosofe, Surulere and Somolu.

Other areas where the governor won are Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos Mainland, Alimosho, Ojo, Ikorodu, Mushin and Oshodi-Isolo. Olajide Adediran of the PDP, the third major candidate in the election, has not won in any local government and comes a distant third in terms of the total votes cast.

The LP candidate who won Amuwo-Odofin LGA said the abuse of power by the ruling party and electoral officials is a “slap on the face of democracy” and Lagosians who decided to partake in the election. Mr Rhodes-Vivour said he was saddened by the reports of violence and gross disenfranchisement of voters who came out to perform their civic obligation.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Govermor-elect of the Saturday poll. Sanwo-Olu polled a total of 762,134 votes to defeat his closest, Labour Party (LP) Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and Dr. Olajide Adediran of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Labour Party polled 312,329 votes while PDP polled 62,449 votes. The state Returning Officer, Mrs Adenike returned Sanwo-Olu as elected. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) Lagos, Mrs Dayo Ekong, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel outrightly, the Governorship and House of Assembly elections conducted on March 18, 2023 in Lagos over electoral malpractices, and irregularities.

Mrs Ekong, raised the opposition against the exercise after the Returning Officer of Eti-Osa Local Government presented the results of the rescheduled elections in 10 units. The Labour Party chairman claimed that a lot of their supporters were killed and disenfranchised amid electoral malpractices across the state during the exercise. Mrs Ekong described the exercise as “a shame.”