If you were in Lagos State on the day of the last governorship election, you could guess why the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is dragging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the internationa court.
Rhodes-Vivour says Sanwo-Olu and the other parties engaged in “organised crimes against humanity” before, during, and after the Lagos state gubernatorial election.
The gubernatorial election in Lagos state was held on March 18, 2023.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu won the election for a second term of four years.
However, the credibility of the election was doubted, as there were threats against voters before, during, and even after the election.
In this light, the Lagos State gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has filed a petition before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He is dragging Sanwo-Olu; President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari; the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba; before the ICC.
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Also, he added the name of the Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages, (LASPG), Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
Added to the list is the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa; Femi Fani Kayode, Bayo Onanuga, Sam Omatseye, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, Reno Omokri.
Others are Dele Alake, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, and a traditional ruler; the Baale of Igbara Jakande area in Eti-Osa Local government area of Lagos State, among others.
He is bringing all of them before the ICC at The Hague in Netherlands, for what he called “organised crimes against humanity” before, during, and after the election.
The Petition
Mr Rhodes-Vivour filed the petition addressed to the Office of the Prosecutor, ICC, to the attention of Karim A. A. Khan QC, the Prosecutor of the Court.
According to him, the respondents “…jointly and collectively incited genocide and tribal conflicts in Nigeria during and around the 2023 general elections in Lagos State, Nigeria.
“And which incitement has resulted in deaths, grievous bodily harm, and injuries, destruction of lives and properties”.
The Allegations
The petition was filed on behalf of Mr Rhodes-Vivour, his Deputy, Princess Abiodun Oyefusi, and others respectively.
It was filed by a group of lawyers under the auspices of “the National Lawyers Coalition for Peter Obi”.
“A few days before the election day, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu while addressing his supporters during a town hall meeting ordered his party members and his thugs to violently grab, snatch and run away with ballot boxes during elections.
“The plan was to deny Peter Obi and other Labour Party candidates their popular mandate.
“It might be argued that this conduct does not fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC, it is however evidence that the said conduct resulted in several casualties and fatalities to individuals,” the petition states.
Rhodes-Vivour alleges that members of the LP were attacked during a political rally in Lagos on February 11, 2023.
According to him, it was done by suspected members and political thugs of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Must Be Treated As Crimes Against Humanity
“The eerie silence, or rather the acquiescence of the Mr Sanwo-Olu the Executive Governor of Lagos State shows that he is complicit.
“There has not been any arrest made, and no one has been held responsible for these crimes.
“Mr. MC Oluomo is the Head Lagos State Park Management Agency which is a political appointment of the government of Lagos State.
“He was seen making open threats against people of other ethnic groups living in Lagos. There are videos of him inciting hate and violence against targeted individuals during the just concluded general elections in Lagos State.
“These proofs of organised crimes against humanity,” Rhodes-Vivour adds.
According to Rhodes-Vivour, the attacks continued after various ethnic baiting tweets by Onanuga, Fani Kayode, Omokri, and others.
He claims that these tweets had fuelled election and post-election violence against individuals from a specific ethnic group.
Therefore, he says they must be treated as crimes against humanity.
