Francesca Odimgbe
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has hailed the ruling of the Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos that affirmed his victory in the last governorship election.
The appellate court on Wednesday dismissed the appeals brought against the re-election of Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP).
In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Yargata Nimpar dismissed the appeals and affirmed Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected Governor of Lagos State.
Reacting to the judgement, Governor Sanwo-Olu in a statement he signed and issued on Wednesday said he accepted the Court of Appeal verdict with a sense of responsibility and a desire to continue with the giant strides of his administration to leave a great legacy for the people of Lagos State.
He said: “With a sense of humility, I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal, which ruled today in our favour, thereby validating the position of Lagosians who freely cast their ballots to return my deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and I as Governor and Deputy Governor of our dear State. We do not take it for granted.
“Today’s judicial pronouncements, like those of the Lagos State Elections Petition Tribunal, have buoyed my confidence in our country’s judicial system. The Court examined all the issues and did justice to them, without leaving anyone in doubt as to who was the rightful winner of the election.
“Our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will continue to maintain its firm belief in the judicial process.
“My deputy and I have satisfied all the constitutional requirements and are now more focused on delivering the democratic dividends to our people.
“With deep gratitude to the Almighty God, I humbly accept today’s Appeal Court verdict, with a sense of responsibility and a desire to continue with the giant strides of our administration to leave a great legacy for our people.”
Governor while recommitting himself to the Greater Lagos Agenda, said “The judicial victory has further strengthened my resolve to impact the lives of Lagos residents positively, regardless of their political persuasion, in line with our THEMES+ development agenda.
“We urge our opponents to embrace the olive branch and join our sure march to the Greater Lagos that keeps rising by the day.
“May God bless Lagos State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”