Awamaridi & Rhodes-Vivours
The embattled Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos, Ifagbemi Awamaridi, has described as “comedy” the event where the party’s national leaders issued a certificate of return to the “authentic” candidate.
Mr Awamaridi spoke on the Morning Show on Arise TV on Thursday.
The national leadership of Labour Party had on Tuesday, issued a certificate of return to Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour who won at the party’s substitution primary election in Lagos.
The party leadership had said Rhodes-Viviour’s emergence, put to rest the controversy surrounding their authentic candidate.
But on Thursday, the TV show anchor introduced Mr Awamaridi as a factional candidate, to which he replied, “to say that I’m a factional candidate for Lagos State is a very wrong statement.”
Awamaridi described the election that saw the emergence of Mr Rhodes-Vivour as the governorship candidate is “fraudulent.”
Mr Awamaridi also described the certificate of return given to Rhodes-Vivour, as a “piece of paper,” that is “unconstitutional and irrelevant.”
He reiterated that he remains the “substantive governorship candidate of the party” and no candidate should be presented whether by the party or the electoral body except in a case of withdrawal or death.
His words; “I have not resigned, I have gone to court to make a declaration when I got this comedy and shenanigan.
“I went to court and made a declaration in oath that I have not withdrawn my candidature. I’m alive, I’m not dead.”
He added that he remains the candidate “until the final determination of the suit in court.”
Awamaridi in his affidavit of non-withdrawal deposed to at a State High Court in Abuja, averred that, “I hereby state under oath that I did not withdraw my candidature and I am not withdrawing my candidature and do not intend to withdraw my candidature and I shall not withdraw my candidature.
“I hereby state under oath that I am alive, I am not dead and do not consent to any obituary documentation whatsoever done in my name.”
Awamaridi noted that according to the 2022 Electoral Act, the only means of replacing him is through voluntary withdrawal or death.
Sources -: PREMIUM TIMES/Arise Tv
