TraderMoni: PDP asks INEC to prosecute Jide Sanwo-olu, disqualify APC

The Peoples Democratic Party, Lagos state chapter, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to activate its power to ensure fairness in elections by disqualifying the All Progressives Congress (APC) from contesting in the governorship election in Lagos State.

The party also asked the electoral body to prosecute the APC governorship candidate, Mr Jide Sanwoolu, for violating the election timetable on start of campaigns.

According to the PDP in a statement signed by Gani Taofik, its Publicity Secretary, the deliberate rallies into Lagos markets by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is basically to introduce the APC governorship candidate to the traders for votes and not intended to launch any trade support programme, sic tradermoni.

Justifying its position, the PDP averred that the Mr Sanwoolu at every of the visitations is introduced as governorship candidate of APC and the vice president always sought the traders to vote APC to continue the ‘trader moni’. “Similarly, the visitations are fleshed up with APC campaign posters, souvenirs, musicians to promote APC and Sanwoolu”.

The PDP claims that the markets visitation is apparent electoral impunity which the INEC cannot deny knowledge of “thus allowing the APC to over reach other political parties in the state. If this is not stopped, other parties would also commence campaigns and indeed the INEC should be responsible for abetting the offences”.


Expressing its objections further, the PDP accused the INEC of not sanctioning the Lagos APC and governorship candidate who have also been using the state media houses to lure voters.

“We shall not standby to be technically rigged out of this election, we take very strong objections to these illegal and foul campaigns by the APC governorship candidate. We state categorically that the INEC is officially abetting this electoral impunity by looking the other way pretending not to notice the APC violations. This calls to question the readiness of the electoral body to allow fair contest in the coming elections.”

It would be recalled that the Vice President, Governor Ambode and the Lagos APC governorship candidate have recently been visiting markets in Lagos state to distribute Ten thousand naira each to traders as trade support in a scheme known as trader money.