Lagos PDP primary: Why I went to court - Obanikoro

The crisis rocking the Lagos chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) might take a long time to linger as  Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, a contestant for the PDP Lagos governorship ticket has explained the reason he took the party to court.

Obanikoro, while addressing his supporters at his campaign office in Ikeja, said he sued the party’s leadership to compel it to expedite action on a petition he made.

Obanikoro had on Tuesday petitioned the party’s leadership over the PDP governorship primary election in the state held on Monday.

Obanikoro had rejected the result of the election and called for its cancellation, following a controversy over a difference in the number of accredited voters and the number of votes cast.

The party declared Mr Jimi Agbaje the winner of the election.

The contestant told his supporters that he filed the suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

"Since I sent in my petition, I expected them (PDP leaders) to respond but none came, and with INEC's guidelines, the time may lapse.

"I have been receiving calls from some of our chieftains appealing to me; I will not accept the pleas until the right thing is done.

"The result of the primary cannot stand. Anyone who chooses to change Lagos for the better must stand by the truth. The election must be cancelled,’’ he said.

Obanikoro, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana and a former Minister of State for Defence, urged his supporters to remain steadfast.

He declined comments on whether he would leave the party if the result would not be cancelled.