The Lagos Governorship Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Olajide Adediran challenging the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Ibafemi Hamzat.
The panel upheld Governor Sanwo-Olu’s and Dr. Hamzat’s election.
The petition was dismissed by the three-person Tribunal presided over by Justice Arum Ashom for lack of merit.
It ruled unanimously that all of the petitioners’ concerns are pre-election problems that the Tribunal lacks authority to hear.
Justice Mikail Abdullahi and Justice Igho Braimoh are also on the panel.
Sanwo-Olu received 762,134 votes, defeating Rhodes-Vivour, who received 312,329.
Adediran, the PDP candidate, finished third with 62,449 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party, and its candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour are named as respondents in the petition brought by the PDP and Jandor.
They requested that the Tribunal dismiss Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour for “non-compliance” with the Electoral Act 2022 and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) instructions.
In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated April 7, the petitioners claimed that the APC did not follow the INEC calendar and schedule of operations for the 2023 general election, which stated that all political parties must provide INEC 21 days’ notice before the primary election.
In addition to the charge of noncompliance with pertinent articles of the Electoral Act 2022, Adediran stated that at the time of the governorship election, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, and Rhodes-Vivour were ineligible to run.
He requested that all votes cast for them in the election be deemed invalid, and that Adediran be declared the winner.
The name of the Labour Party candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has previously been removed from the petition by the Tribunal.
According to Section 177 of the Constitution, Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Hamzat, are eminently competent to fight the March 18 governorship election in the state.
The Judge, stated this while delivering judgment in the petition filed against their election by the PDP candidate, Adediran.
The judge noted that they are members of political party and educated up to school certificate level.
Section 177 of the constitution stipulated that “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if (a) he is a citizen of Nigeria by birth;
“(b) He has attained the age of thirty-five years; (c) he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party; and (d) he has been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.”
“We have considered evidence before this court. He has highest number of votes.
“This petition is dead on arrival. In view of evidence adduced before the court, the grounds on which the petitioners is seeking disqualification of 2nd and 3rd respondents lacks merit.
“I have found Governor Sanwo-Olu and deputy Dr Hamzat duly elected and therefore declared them winner,” the Tribunal ruled before proceeding on recess.
