Gbadebo Rohdes-Vivour knocks governor Sanwo-Olu for using tax payers money to fund Election litigation

The gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, made allegations on Sunday claiming that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu misappropriated a total of N200 million from the state’s coffers for election-related legal battles.

In a post on his verified X platform, formerly known as Twitter, Rhodes-Vivour asserted that the governor utilized these funds to bankroll legal proceedings contesting his victory in the March 18 election at both the state governorship election petition tribunal and the appeal court.

Last week, a three-member panel at the appellate court, led by Justice Yargata Nimpa, dismissed the appeals filed by the Labour Party candidate and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Abdulaziz Adediran, also known as Jandor, citing a lack of merit.

Rhodes-Vivour’s allegations surfaced shortly after the African Democratic Party (ADC) governorship candidate in the state, Funso Doherty, accused the state government of allocating approximately N4 billion for luxury items such as duffel bags, refrigerators, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), and fans, among other expenditures.

In his revelation, the Labour Party candidate disclosed that the governor and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, channeled N500 million each through the Ministry of Justice to four different legal chambers.

“We took Mr. Sanwo-Olu, Mr. Hamzat, APC, and INEC to court. We did not take @Lagosstategov to court. Why should the state fund his legal fees? Why should citizens’ taxes be used to pay for his representation?

“This is why they are always quick to say, ‘Go to court’ because they are so irresponsible and cheap, to not even pick up their legal bills.”