The Lagos West Senatorial District Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon.Segun Adewale, restated that he never abandoned his petition at the election petition tribunal in lagos, vowed to appeal judgement.  He however debunked all media reports on this claim.

Otunba Segun Adewale revealed this at a press conference at Ikeja with his lead counsel, Barr. Desmond Biriomoni and others, while addressing the newsmen yesterday, in reaction to the ruling of the three-man panel of the tribunal hearing his petition challenging the victory of Alhaja Idiat Oluranti Adebule, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

The panel comprised of Justice Ashua Ewah (Chairman), Justice Abdullahi Ozegya and Justice M. A. Sambo. At the Tribunal sitting in Lagos, in concordance upheld Adebule’s argument that the 1st and 2nd petitioners, Segun Adewale and the PDP, abandoned their petition.

Adewale stated emphatically that he never abandoned his election petition knowing fully well that he won his opponent, Idiat Oluranti Adegbule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in her polling unit, ward and even local government area in the election with a large margin.

He stated “I have not abandoned my election petition as reported by the Nation Newspaper and other online media. I need to correct that wrong and negative narrative. I never abandoned my petition. Our petition is strong and we have a reason not to give up. We won the election but I was robbed. We have a lot of evidence to prove that we won the election. Apart from that, the APC candidate was not qualified academically, her results papers were fake, so there was no reason for me to give up. So, the narrative out there is wrong and that is why I am here to debunk it.”

Elucidating further on the judgment of the tribunal which dismissed his petition, he said: “The judgment came to us as a surprise. The tribunal didn’t say we filed out of time; the judges said we filed too early. It is not fair. I am annoyed when I hear people saying that I have gone to the APC to collect money and abandon my petition. I never collected a dime from the opposition or from anybody apart from the party members that are supporting me in this legal battle.

“We have all the necessary details that will give us victory at the tribunal but the judge just refused to look at what is on his table and decided to rule based on technicalities. Even those technicalities were not in consonance with the law of our nation and we will challenge it.

“So, we didn’t abandon the petition, after all I am not the one sponsoring the petition, my people that are taking full responsibilities for the legal expenses, so I cannot just unilaterally abandon the people’s petition.”

Hon, Segun Adewale has accused his opponent, Idiat Adebule for his stolen mandate. He said, “Adebule should hide her face in shame instead of tweeting that I abandoned the election petition,  jubilating or going to mosque to give thanksgiving. In her LGA nobody wants her, I won gallantry.

He added “In a country like Nigeria, a political party like APC will buy Judiciary, their leaders would bring unmerited candidates, impose them on the party, thereby, promoting nuisance and unqualified candidates, later they wont be able to cope and represent well, why won’t she be sleeping at the chamber? How come she won the election?, a person that couldn’t even campaign, APC only hope is rigging and thats the only the confidence they have, to rob people of their mandates.

“Many people have been calling me that  why did I abandon my election petition to receive money?, though people offered me money, I did not collect any money from anybody. I cant betray the trust of my people. I cant never abandon my election petition.

Analysing what happened at the tribunal, his Lead Counsel, Edmund Biriomoni, said on August 4, the tribunal in its wisdom dismissed the petition on the ground that having failed to apply for the pre-hearing information sheet Form TA008, which runs contrary to Paragraph 18 (1) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, that the petitioner has abandoned his petition.

He noted that they were aggrieved by the decision because all the issues canvassed before the tribunal were not taken into consideration. He however stated that the authorities cited to sway the tribunal were equally not also taken into consideration, adding that these were the issues upon which they would approach the appellate court, the Court of Appeal to seek redress.

According to the Barrister, “We want the court to look at what we have brought before it because all we are pursuing is justice. We believe that the substantive matter which was dismissed should be heard and determined on its merit and not aborted based on technicality.

“At this point “In one breath the judges said we didn’t apply, in another breath, they said we filed too early. There are no consequences for filling early. The petition was never abandoned. The narrative in the media is false,”

 

“I strongly believe that the Court of Appeal will do justice in the matter. I  believe that we will go back to the tribunal for the tribunal to do justice to the petition by hearing and determining the petition on its merit.”