Lagos 2023: CSO Petitions INEC Over Breach Of Electoral Act By PDP Governorship Candidate, Jandor

By Akinwale Kasali

The candidature of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship Candidate in Lagos State, Olajide Abdulaziz Adediran, popularly known as Jandor has been petitioned against by a Civil Society Organization under the auspices of Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate, CPPM.

The petition is over an alleged breach of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, 2022 Electoral Act.

The Group in the petition signed by the Executive Chairman of CPPM, Nelson Ekujimi, said that the PDP  Candidate alongside his Running Mate, Funke Akindele, popularly known as Jenifa, and a House of Representatives Candidate of the PDP, Bankole Wellington, aka Banky W. and others  are engaged in political campaigns. They accused them of  canvassing foe voters in utter violation of the law in a documentary to commemorate the 2022 International Youth Day on Friday 12th of August 2022 which was aired on a National Television Station (Arise TV).

According to the petition which was accompanied by evidence of complaints and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, the petition accused Adediran and others of willfully and flagrantly violating not only section 94 (1) of the Electoral Act, but also the publicly published INEC guidelines on the 2023 elections by commencing political campaigns well ahead of the official kick-off date.

The Group also  noted that section 94 (1) of the 2022 Electoral Act states that: “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”.

It added that the publication of the 2023 Election guidelines by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled Gubernatorial and States House of Assembly elections campaigns to hold between October 12 2022 – March 9 2023, therefore, CPPM is of the strong view that by engaging in this act of lawlessness and brazen disregard for the laws governing our elections and democracy Adediran, his deputy,  Akindele, Wellington and others and their party must be made to face the full weight of the law for bringing Nigeria’s democracy to opprobrium.

Ekujimi in the statement specifically stated that it was motivated to petition the electoral umpire because of “its concern with upholding the sanctity and integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process by the stakeholders at all time, but which unfortunately and sadly has been imperiled by the conduct of Adediran, his deputy, Akindele, Wellington and others and is afraid that such a conduct, if replicated by other parties and candidates, is an invitation to a breakdown of law and order which is unacceptable and condemnable”.

CPPM  added that it is worried and alarmed that despite knowing fully well the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act and published INEC guidelines, but still going ahead to campaign well ahead of the official commencement date, is a pointer to the character of all the PDP Candidates and others as persons who have no regard for the law, subsequently, the civil society organization is calling for appropriate response according to law to be meted to them to serve as a deterrent to other candidates and party’s who might want to toe the same line of lawlessness and  undermine our democracy and national security.

“CPPM is aware that Nigerian youths are law abiding citizens who are desirous of contributing their own quota to national development in a lawful manner and would not in anyway want to be associated with the conduct of this violators of the Electoral Act and published INEC guidelines on 2023 general elections.

“CPPM then called on INEC to live up to it’s constitutional responsibility of holding every stakeholder accountable to play according to the rules of engagement by meting out appropriate sanctions to violators according to law”, the statement reads.