OFFICE OF THE MEMBER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' ELECT, ETI-OSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY

OFFICE OF THE MEMBER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' ELECT,

ETI-OSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: PLOT X, ADDO ROAD, OPPOSITE HIGH COURT COMPLEX, AJAH, ETI-OSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY

ABUJA: SUITE A60, BANNEX PLAZA, PLOT 750, AMINU KANO CRESCENT, WUSE 2, ABUJA , FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

ON THE MANDATE OF MY  JUSTICE-SEEKING CONSTITUENTS I  STAND!

 *(Being Text of   Maiden World Press Conference by  AYODELE ADEMILUYI, Member of House of Representatives'- Elect , Eti-Osa Federal Constituency at the Foyer , Federal High Court Complex, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory on 3rd March,2023)

GREETINGS

We welcome the esteemed members of the Press to this very important World Press Conference where I  intend to examine the developments in the body polity and specifically my noble Constituency, Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, the Constituency that dared to fight!

SALUTE TO MY COURAGEOUS CONSTITUENTS

I salute my noble constituents who trooped out enmasse on the 27th day of  February, 2023 by giving  political expression to their anger against the Lekki Massacre, #EndSARS killings,illegal demolitions and Lekki Tolling by giving the Labour Party victory with 24,075 votes, with  Mr Olubankole Wellington (Banky W) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), garnering  18,666 votes, and Mr Babjide Obanikoro of the APC, who had 16, 901 votes.

I am the SUBJECTIVE EXPRESSION and LEGAL POTENTATE of this mandate.

I  read law at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife , where I  encountered revolutionary socialist ideas. I was victimised by the high-handed University management at that time for exposing a magnificent fraud as a campus journalist. 

Upon my  graduation in 2009, I  was subjected to unwarranted delay for speaking truth to power before being mobilised to the Nigerian Law School in 2012. I  was eventually called to the Nigerian Bar in 2013.

As a working class revolutionary, I have  played active role in many struggles of the working people across Nigeria. Upon my call to the Nigerian Bar, I have  deployed his legal services in defence of the working people.

In Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, my  imprints are innumerable. I  was Legal Adviser to the Anti-Lekki Tolling Movement (ALTM) that prosecuted the first #OccupyLekki Protests in 2018, which opposed the increase in tolls paid at the Lekki Toll Gate at that time. I  was also Secretary, Eti-Osa Bar Forum, formerly known as the Lekki Bar Forum, which waged a consistent agitation  for the completion of the High Court Complex in Ajah, Eti-Osa Local Government, which was finally opened in 2019.

I was also Counsel to countless communities in Eti-Osa Federal Constituency which have suffered illegal demolitions. A case in point is my defence of Otodogbame Massacre in which a community of more than 10,000 people were violently evicted .

Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, I  was the Secretary of Eti-Osa Anti-COVID-19 Collective that had representatives of the communities and estate associations in combating COVID-19.

With the commencement of the #EndSARS Protests , I  was the Co-Chairperson of the Eti-Osa Bar Forum Legal Aid Committee that stationed at the Lekki Barricade at the Lekki Toll Gate during the course of the protests, providing legal aid to protesters.

Upon the massacre that occurred on the 20th day of October, 2020, I  was Co-Counsel with Mr. Adesina Ogunlana of the Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association (RAMINBA) that defended the #EndSARS protesters at the Lagos State Panel of Inquiry into SARS-Related Abuses and the Lekki Massacre. Through the stout defence of the protesters, the Panel turned out an impressive report that appropriately called the event of 20th October, 2020 a MASSACRE.

In early 2021, I  acted as Co-Counsel to the February 8, 2021 and February 20, 2021 Memorial Marchers who were rounded up by the Police and subjected to brutalization. I  equally provided legal aid as Co-Counsel  to the October 20, 2021 Memorial  Marchers.

In early 2022, with the attempt by the Lagos State Government to reopen the Ikoyi-Lekki Link Bridge, I  was the Secretary of the New Nigeria Network that mobilised to resist the reopening.

As a consistent working class political revolutionary, I  was the Counsel to the Labour Party in the matter of exclusion from the Lagos State Local Government elections in 2021.

 As early as 2021,  my  co-thinkers and I  have  been building within the Labour Party , given their clear perspective that the #EndSARS radicalization of the youth and the national question debacle facing the working class will reach the political arena.

I  emerged as the bonafide candidate of the Labour Party through the Primaries conducted on May 27, 2022, which is the period afforded under the Electoral Act, 2022 and observed by Mr. Adepoju, Electoral Officer, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Eti-Osa Local Government Area. 

INEC MUST COMPLY WITH THE ELECTORAL ACT, 2022 

However , since my emergence as the bonafide candidate of the Labour Party for the seat of Member of House of Representatives, Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the top bureaucracy of the Labour Party refused and neglected to publish my name on the INEC Candidates ' Portal.

I first challenged this action through a suit before Honourable Justice Ringim alongside my other bonafide candidates . 

In the middle of the suit before Justice Ringim, the National Legal Adviser ("NLS")of the Labour Party, Akingbade Oyenekan flew to Lagos and met with a core of the aggrieved candidates , including myself who was acting also as Counsel in the matter.

The National Legal Adviser  pleaded for peace and applied that a fresh suit be instituted with the  Labour Party as a  Plaintiff. Relying on the appropriate provisions of the Electoral Act, my fellow bonafide candidates and I  instituted the fresh suit within the 14 days window of failure of INEC to publish National Assembly candidates for Labour Party in Lagos State. The matter was assigned to Justice Aneke.

 We prosecuted the matter before Justice Aneke undefended up to the day of delivery of  Judgement. On the day of delivery of the Judgment, Justice Aneke informed us of a similar suit marked FHC/L/CS/2178/2022 with Labour Party and some other set of persons as Applicants. The Court adjourned our  matter , marked FHC/L/ CS/ 1920/2022 to the same day with the one of 2178.

 0n the said next adjourned date, Justice Aneke ordered the different sets of Applicants to exchange processes and file pleadings against each other .Upon scrutiny of the processes of the Applicants in 2178, we discovered that they are self-acclaimed " substitution candidates " who were already rejected by INEC, by virtue of a letter which they themselves naively exhibited . AMONG THIS SELF -ACCLAIMED "SUBSTITUTION" CANDIDATES WAS ACHIEF THADDEUS ATTAH .

We made it  known to the Court that INEC rejected these "substitution" candidates and indicated that the Applicants in 2178 only wanted to obtain judgment by concealment of facts of WHO and WHO they were SUBSTITUTING.

 To take the wind out of our ship coasting to shore, AKINGBADE OYENEKAN, deposed to an Affidavit of Disclaimer that he never encountered the writer herein, AYODELE ADEMILUYI ESQ, my humble self who was a Candidate and also Counsel to the genuine candidates in Suit Number  1920. In two different affidavits, his denial of the peace meeting to institute the matter was refuted with receipts of his flight tickets and hotel expenses exhibited .

 On the day of delivery of Judgment in the two matters,  Abass Ibrahim Esq.,  Counsel in 2178 applied to withdraw the entire suit with two  Applicants entering appearance with their separate Counsel claiming they were not even aware of the institution of the suit.

In respect of our suit, it was dismissed by the Court for not filing within the 14 days' requirement for pre-election matters in the Constitution.

 The Applicants who entered separate appearances in 2178 exhibited a Court of Appeal Judgment wherein the Labour Party national leadership has sought and obtained an Order that INEC should publish their names accordingly.

 Seized of this development , we hurried to file a Notice of Appeal as Intervener Appellants  to the Supreme Court against the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, which we only got to know of just afresh.We equally filed our Appeal against the Judgment of Justice Aneke at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.

 The aforesaid Applicants in 2178 who were aggrieved that the said suit was instituted without their consent also filed their respective appeals.

The Supreme Court at the hearing of the Motion for Leave to Appeal the said Judgment of the Court of Appeal was of the view that the Motion if granted  will make the appeal now outside of the 14 days' period and struck out the entire appeal.

Furthermore, The Court of Appeal  dismissed all the appeals of the aggrieved Appellants, who were   Applicants at the lower Court as well as ours with no exception.

As it stands today , there are two Notices of Appeal in two separate appeals at the Supreme Court . INEC ought to abide the outcome of these appeals instead of declaring a purported candidate, ACHIEF THADDEUS ATTAH as the PURPORTED WINNER.

I ASSERT MY CONSTITUENTS' MANDATE

As the BONAFIDE CANDIDATE of the LABOUR PARTY , I assert my  Constituents' mandate as the Member of House of Representatives-Elect and will strive to utilise all means within the mandate of the law to defend the mandate , which I believe is expressly to :

1. DEMAND JUSTICE FOR THE MARTYRS OF THE LEKKI MASSACRE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

2. DEMAND JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF ILLEGALLY DEMOLISHED COUNTLESS COMMUNITIES IN MY CONSTITUENCY

3. IMPROVED FUNDING OF EDUCATION NATIONALLY WITH MINIMUM OF A TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN MY CONSTITUENCY

4. IMPROVED FUNDING OF HEALTHCARE WITH MINIMUM OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED TERTIARY HEALTHCARE INSTITUTION IN MY CONSTITUENCY

5. PERMANENT END TO TOLLING OF ROADS IN MY CONSTITUENCY AND CONVERSION OF LEKKI TOLL GATES TO #ENDSARS MEMORIAL

6. PUSH FOR A BILL FOR AN ACT FOR RANK AND FILE POLICE WORKERS TO FORM A TRADE UNION OF THEIR CHOICE TO END POLICE BRUTALITY

7. DEMAND FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY -COMPLIANT OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN MY CONSTITUENCY UNDER NATIONALISATION BY WORKING PEOPLE IN NIGERIA AS WELL AS DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT OF KEY LEVERS OF THE ECONOMY WITH INTERNATIONAL WORKING PEOPLE.

APPRECIATION AND SOLIDARITY

Since our victory at the polls have been announced , I have been inundated with calls and  messages by comrades from the #EndSARS movement, left movement, labour movement  , civil society movement, the media , former classmates, professional colleagues and all lovers of genuine democracy. 

I sincerely appreciate the pledge of solidarity in this rolling struggle . I look forward to the fullest expression of this solidarity as I will keep all allies updated as from time to time.

To our friends in the media, I believe I can always count on your steadfast support.

I thank you all for listening.

ALUTA CONTINUA! VICTORIA ASCERTA!!

AYODELE ADEMILUYI,

Member of House of Representatives' elect,

Eti-Osa Federal Constituency