PRESS RELEASE
As the world marks the International Day of Universal Access to Information, Lagos State on Thursday joined other 35 cities selected by the Jimmy Carter Foundation to launch the ‘Lagos City’s Inform Women, Transform Lives’ campaign, to make a difference in the lives of women in Lagos State.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Center, Alausa, Ikeja to launch the initiative, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the campaign is targeted at lifting the plight of several women in the society, especially at the grassroots in line with the THEMES+ agenda of his administration, which includes Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth Development
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Barr. (Mrs.) Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the aim of the campaign is to also provide a platform for women to seek and receive information from all tiers of governments irrespective of their status, tribe and religion.
The Governor said the City of Lagos Inform Women, Transform Lives Campaign” themed: “Gender Equality and Inclusivity” would raise awareness on where and how women can easily get information about city services that would benefit them as his administration had upgraded its developmental agenda from THEMES to THEMES+.
“Two months ago, Lagos State participated in the Carter Centre competition with other 300 Cities across the globe and was among the few that got selected for the “Inform Women, Transform Lives” programme. The driving force behind our success at the competition was made possible through contributions by the Ministries of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Information and Strategy Youths and Social Development, Commerce, Cooperative, Trade and Investment as well as Special Adviser to the Governor on Legal Matters.
“It is my absolute delight to highlight the fact that Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu upgraded the agenda of his first administration’s development agenda from THEMES agenda to THEMES PLUS. The PLUS represents social inclusion, gender equality and youth engagement,” Salu-Hundeyin said.
Speaking earlier, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, who was accompanied by his Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment counterpart, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem and other state officials and stakeholders, said the inclusive campaign would be focused on information dissemination particularly to women and girls in order to transform their lives positively.
The Carter Center is a non-governmental organization helping to improve the lives of people in more than 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy and human rights; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care.
The Carter Centre was founded in 1982 by Mr. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and his wife, Mrs. Rosalyn Carter.
The Foundation is committed to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering.
Among the cities participating in the campaign include Atlanta, Georgia; Amman, Jordan; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; Chicago, Illinois; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Dhaka North, Bangladesh; Dublin, Ireland and Guatemala City among others. They are also launching their campaigns simultaneously today in line with Carter Centre’s directive.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
28 SEPTEMBER 2023
September 29, 2023
Press Statement
CSU: Lawyers Plea Inconsistent with Tinubu’s Academic Assertions, Says PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges the All Progressives Congress (APC) to come clean on the desperation by its lawyers in the United States to conceal certain vital details regarding the academic records of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Chicago State University (CSU) from the public.
The PDP states that the Application by the lawyers urging the US District Court of Illinois not to release the said academic details are in direct conflict with the public declarations by President Tinubu that his academic records are impeccable.
The PDP recalls that President Tinubu had in a public function openly asserted to Nigerians that “I was one of those most recruited graduates of my university, multiple honours, First Class Degree and I have the reference point”
In view of the above assertion, the PDP therefore holds that the plea by the lawyers that the details of his academic record should not be released is a great disservice to President Tinubu in particular and Nigeria in general.
This desperation to conceal vital information is consistent with APC’s penchant for trickery and underhand dealings in their transactions with Nigerians which has heightened under the Abdullahi Ganduje leadership.
By appointing Dr. Ganduje as its National Chairman, despite the malodorous corruption and bribery allegations against him in the public domain, the APC further confirms itself as not only being a cesspit of corruption but also as irredeemably given to concealment and condonement of depravity, sleaze and mendacious acts.
Moreover, it is curious that the APC has remained silent on allegations and public apprehension of sabotage in the Monday, September 25, 2023 fire outbreak at the Supreme Court, which is suspected to have been an arsonist attack with the intent to cripple and frustrate the Supreme Court in the handling of the Presidential Election Appeals pending before it.
The APC must in the least acknowledge the desirability and moral duty placed on it to encourage, insist and ensure that it is transparent with Nigerians and indeed the world. Failure to discharge this duty to Nigerians is condemnable.
The litany of probes, inquiries and investigations which were instituted on various matter without reports under the APC since 2015 validates the above.
It is clear that the APC is a major threat to our Nation’s Democracy. The PDP calls on all men of goodwill across our country and beyond to stand firm in the defense of Democracy, Transparency and the Rule of Law in Nigeria, especially at this critical time.
Signed:
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary
BEING THE REMARKS OF H.E. PASTOR UMO ENO, GOVERNOR, AKWA IBOM STATE AFTER THE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL DECLARED HIM DULY ELECTED- SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2023.
My Fellow Akwaibomites,
Today, the Elections Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, following the earlier dismissal of the petitions brought by the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Governorship Candidate, John James Akpanudoedeghe, Architect Ezekiel Nya Etok, of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obong Akan Udofia of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) and today, Distinguished Senator, Obong Bassey Albert Akpan, of the Young Progressive Party, (YPP) again unanimously affirmed my victory as the duly elected Governor of our great State.
I dedicate this victory to God Almighty and to you, the people of Akwa Ibom State, who on March 18th, 2023, came out and massively voted for me to usher in the Golden Era in continuation of the giant strides we have experienced in this State, 36 years after creation.
Let me use this opportunity to thank and celebrate the Nigerian judiciary for the patriotic job they are doing to safeguard and consolidate our democracy. My faith in this critical institution remains rock-solid.
As I have always said, politics is over, its time for governance. I call on my brothers, Distinguished Senator John Akpanudoedeghe, Architect Ezekiel Nya-Etok, Obong Akanimo Udofia and Distinguished Senator Obong Bassey Albert to join me in building a State, founded on shared aspirations for growth, development, unity and brotherhood.
I may have been elected on the platform of the PDP, but I am a Governor for all Akwaibomites, irrespective of political labels. That’s what I promised to do, when I put my hands on the Bible on May 29th, 2023 and took my Oath of Office.
I urge all Akwaibomites, to keep faith in God who is leading us aright as our State will soon witness a litany of projects across the thirty one Local Government Areas, thus providing jobs for our youths
Let us therefore, ARISE, and together, usher in the Golden Era for us all!
God bless Akwa Ibom State, God bless our Judiciary and God bless our dear Nation, Nigeria.
I have directed my legal team to appeal the judgment, says Omo-Agege
The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has directed his legal team to immediately proceed with an appeal against today’s judgment of the governorship election tribunal that upheld the election of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori as governor of Delta State.
Senator Omo-Agege said the Tribunal failed to reckon with the fundamental flaws in the March 18, 2023 governorship election that mortally rendered the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner untenable.
“It is a no brainer that the Tribunal operated under a very challenging environment. It therefore ignored the unassailable evidence adduced to question the validity of lawful votes as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). I respect the decision of the Tribunal, but it is flawed. I have no doubt that these flaws which the Tribunal failed to address will be dispassionately evaluated at the Court of Appeal. I have, therefore, directed my legal team to immediately proceed to the Court of Appeal and continue with the fight to restore the sanctity of the people’s vote”, Senator Omo-Agege stated.
Signed
Sunny Areh
Media Adviser to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege
DELTA STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION TRIBUNAL’S JUDGEMENT: AN APPEAL FOR CALM, AS WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE OUR CASE AND CAUSE
Today, the 29th of September, 2023, the Governorship Election Tribunal holden in Asaba, Delta State gave judgement in our petition challenging the return of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The outcome is not what we expected.
Let it be said with every sense of conviction and responsibility that in reaching its judgment, the Tribunal in Asaba, in our respectful view, failed to avert its mind to the intendment of the plethora of unambiguous innovations now contained in the Electoral Act, 2022. In relation to the instant petition, these are most particularly evident in sections 137 and 73(2) and paragraph 46(4) [First Schedule) of the Act mandating the Tribunal on how to properly handle the required evidence duly placed before it by the petitioners in proof of the petition and corroborated by INEC itself.
We hold the reasoned view that if the Tribunal dutifully attended to the unassailable evidence in support of ALL the polling unit results and every other relevant electoral document duly tendered before it using our present electoral jurisprudence and benchmarks already set by the Supreme Court as its compass, today’s outcome would have been clearly in our favour.
As chief proponents of a clean electoral system, we disagree that ballots obtained in manifest breach of the Electoral Act and our Constitution are lawful and valid votes in the 2023 Delta State Governorship Election. Further, we also do not believe that the law permits the Tribunal to do nothing having found as a matter of fact and consistent with the petition that votes were arbitrarily inflated in favour of our opponents.
Also, we do not believe that today’s judgment is in consonance with the letters and spirit of the new Act which, for the first time in our electoral history and jurisprudence, now unequivocally mandates a Tribunal to reject and cancel an election conducted at a polling unit if the serial numbers and other identities of the electoral materials used are not formally recorded into the INEC prescribed forms. We know that where this particular infraction is manifest on documentary evidence before the tribunal, the Act clearly says such must be thoroughly considered by a Tribunal and the result cancelled, as same is unlawful. This, regrettably, is not the case with the instant decision.
So, let us be clear. For the matters mentioned herein and much more, we say with calm confidence and conviction that today’s judgment is nothing but a grave injustice that will not stand appellate scrutiny. But we must thank their Lordships for all they did as humans given the very toxic and intimidating environment in which they operated in the last six months. We wish them well.
In view of the foregoing, I have instructed my erudite legal team to immediately appeal the judgement of the Tribunal. We are grateful for their steady industry and extraordinary commitment.
I call on our people to remain calm and law-abiding. We came into this race to rescue our beloved Delta State knowing that it will not be a smooth sail. So, keep hope alive. With God, we shall get to our destination under His abiding grace.
Signed:
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, CFR
(Obarisi of Urhoboland & 2023 Delta State Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress)
September 29, 2023,
Abuja.
September 25, 2023
Press Statement
S/Court Fire Incident Suspicious – PDP
… Demands Full Scale Investigation
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is alarmed by the fire incident at the Supreme Court, describing it as suspicious.
The PDP is worried over the fire outbreak especially given heightened public apprehension of possible arsonist attack with the intent to cripple and frustrate the Supreme Court from effectively discharging its constitutional duties especially with regard to high profile electoral cases including the Presidential Election Appeals pending before it.
Our Party demands for an immediate full-scale investigation into the fire outbreak with the view to unraveling the circumstances or possible sabotage in the incident.
The PDP insists that the outcome of the investigation should be made public unlike those of previous fire incidents in various government Ministries, Departments and Agencies which were characteristically swept under the carpet by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations.
While calling on the Federal Government to beef up security around the Supreme Court, the PDP also demands that Nigerians must be assured of the safety of sensitive documents and equipment at the Court especially at this critical time.
Signed:
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary
PRESS RELEASE
‘OUR VICTORY AT TRIBUNAL REAFFIRMS LAGOSIANS’ CHOICE’ — SANWO-OLU REACTS TO LAGOS TRIBUNAL VERDICT
- Governor extends hand of fellowship to opponents, says ‘no victor, no vanquished’
Palpable excitement enveloped Alausa — the seat of power of the Lagos State Government on Monday, following the judgement of Lagos Election Petition Tribunal, which came in favour of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The tribunal, which sat for about 10 hours, dismissed two petitions filed against Sanwo-Olu’s victory in the March 18, 2023 election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Governor ran on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The petitions were filed by the Governor’s main challengers – Dr. Olajide Adediran of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of Labour Party (LP).
Reacting to the unanimous tribunal judgement, which was read by the lead Judge, Justice Arum Ashom, Sanwo-Olu, joined by his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, described the verdict as “well thought-out and detailed”, noting that the court decision further affirmed judiciary’s commitment to principle of fairness and justice.
The Governor, who said there was no victor or vanquished, dedicated the judgement to all residents of the State, whom, he said, had stood by his administration through the electoral journey.
Sanwo-Olu noted that his re-election was tough, but said the voices of Lagosians were heard loud and clear at the polls, resulting in his landslide victory.
The Governor said the tribunal judgement affirmed the people’s will and choice.
He said: “I am glad to announce the information I have just received that Lagos Election Petition Tribunal judgements have been given in our favour. I commend the judiciary and the judges that delivered the well thought-out and detailed judgments. They took their time to explain to everyone the reasons that led them to the views and conclusion they gave today. We thank the judges for their firm commitment to principle of fairness and justice.
“As it is, Mr Deputy and I feel very privileged to have been elected to serve at this important moment in the history of our State. We thank all Lagosians for standing by us all through this journey. For us, this judgement is a victory for all. We are not coming out here to say somebody won or lost. For all of us on this political trajectory, there are no winners or losers.
“For us, our aim in governance is about service and ensuring that we are not distracted from all the promises we made to Lagosians. This judgement has given us the opportunity to double up our interventions to ensure that we continue to deliver quality dividends of democracy to our citizens.”
Sanwo-Olu extended his hands of fellowship to his opponents, urging them to display spirit of sportsmanship and accept the verdict of the tribunal in good faith.
The Governor invited candidates of the PDP and LP to come join hand with his Government and channel their passion to causes that would take the State to the next phase of development.
“I still want to give an opportunity to opposition parties’ candidates that contested against us to join hand with us if they share the same passion and commitment that we have to serve. We are ready to sit with them and have conversation around what ways they can channel their ideas in the development of the State. Lagos is big and its challenges are real, while its opportunities are boundless. There is always a room for everybody to contribute,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The Governor said the State Government would not be marking the tribunal judgement with any form of celebration. Instead, he stressed that he would rather divert his energy towards the responsibility of governance.
The party, Sanwo-Olu said, is free to organise events for Lagosians in marking the victory at the court.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
25 SEPTEMBER 2023
