The 2023 Labour Party Gubernatorial Candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhode-Vivour has strongly critized the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for using state funds to cover his legal expenses in a lawsuit contesting his election triumph
Recall that Rhodes-Vivour filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal of Nigeria in Lagos on November 14th, 2023, claiming that the election was rigged in favor of Sanwo-Olu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gbadebo also named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Sanwo-Olu’s deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, as respondents in the case.
On Sunday, the LP’s gubernatorial candidate took to Twitter to express his displeasure and opposition to the use of state funds to cover the legal fees of the respondents.
Gbadebo shared a screenshot believed to have been retrieved from the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency’s website detailing the analysis of funds allocation revealing that millions of Naira were allocated for Sanwo-Olu’s personal suits.
Gbadebo stated that he did not sue the Lagos State Government and wondered why the taxpayers’ money should be used to finance their legal representation. He described this practice as irresponsible and cheap.
“We took Mr Sanwoolu, 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.” Rhodes-Vivour tweeted.
The tweet sparked a heated debate on social media, with some users backing Rhodes-Vivour’s allegation and others supporting Sanwo-Olu’s right to use state funds for his legal defense.
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Some users also doubted the validity and intention of Rhodes-Vivour’s appeal, which came eight months after the election.
Sanwo-Olu has not commented on the tweet or the accusation of misusing state funds.
A document sighted by Parallel Facts shows that the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has issued four instructions for legal representation and defense in a lawsuit involving Sanwo-Olu.
The lawsuit, with suit number FHC/CS/1979/2022, was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against INEC and 42 others, including Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.
The document shows that the state government is paying 50,000,000.00 Naira (about 125,000 US dollars) for each instruction, totaling 200,000,000.00 Naira (about 500,000 US dollars) for the lawsuit alone. This is apart from the legal fees that Sanwo-Olu might be paying for the appeal case filed by Rhodes-Vivour.
The document raises questions about the legality and morality of using state funds for personal legal matters, especially when the state is facing economic and social challenges such as poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and infrastructure decay.