Bankole Wellington, often known as Banky W, a potential candidate for the House of Representatives and an artist, on Wednesday expressed his appreciation for the Election Petitions Tribunal’s decision ordering a rerun in the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in Lagos State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission named Mr. Thaddeus Atta, the Labour Party candidate, the victor of the election in February 2023 with 24,075 votes. Wellington and Obanikoro received 18,668 and 16,901 votes, respectively.
Following the election, Ibrahim Obanikoro of the All Progressives Congress and Wellington, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, filed petitions contesting the results.
The tribunal, in its judgment on Monday, declared the February election inconclusive and ordered INEC to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days in 33 polling units where elections did not hold.
Wellington, while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today.programme, said, “For me personally, it’s a miracle in and of itself that we get another chance to finish the election.“
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“I think it’s a testament to the power of perseverance, the power of faith, and the collective will of the people who want to participate in the rebuilding of this democracy.”
“People were really frustrated that they didn’t get a chance to participate in that election. And I think that that’s important,” Wellington said.
“It’s an important thing for our democracy that people are not prevented from exercising their constitutional rights to participate in an election.”
The 42-year-old decried that there were over 30 polling units with “almost 30,000 voters” who were ready to vote but were prevented from exercising their franchise.
Wellington noted instances of violence and voter suppression in certain areas, whereas INEC officers did not show up at some voting locations.
He said, “I am particularly grateful that the court decided that every vote deserves to be counted and every voice deserves to be heard, regardless of who you’re voting for.”
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