SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS SANWO-OLU LAGOS GOVERNOR
The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Governor of Lagos State.
The five member panel in a judgment delivered by Justices Lawal Garba affirmed the declaration of the APC’s candidate as winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election, after dismissing two separate appeals challenging his victory.
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP), who came second and Abdulazeez Adediran popularly known as Jandor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who came third had challenged the election of Sanwo-Olu on grounds of alleged irregularities, malpractices non-compliance as well as non-qualification.
They had specifically argued that the Deputy Governor, who acquired citizenship of the United States of America, is not qualified to contest elective position and as such his nomination as deputy Governor was unlawful null and void.
They also argued that his alleged unlawful nomination affects the qualification of Sanwo-Olu, hence the court should nullify their participation in the governorship election.
However, both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal in their respective decisions dismissed the two appeals for failure to prove allegations made in their petitions.
In a unanimous decision, the Apex Court panel stresses that acquisition of US citizenship doesn’t disqualify a person seeking to run for governor. It says being a citizen of Nigeria by birth makes one qualified to run.
Hence, the quest by the Labour Party to void the victory of the APC in the Governorship Election in Lagos State fails.
