Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State, has argued that Obafemi Hamzat, the state’s deputy governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, should have been disqualified from contesting the governorship election over his alleged oath of allegiance to the United States.
Rhodes-Vivour made the claim on Tuesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme.
The ADC candidate said his legal team raised the issue during the 2023 Lagos governorship election litigation, following testimony by Olubusayo Fasidi, an immigration lawyer, before the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Fasidi had testified that Hamzat applied for US naturalisation and took an oath of allegiance to the country. She told the tribunal, however, that she had been invited to explain US immigration law and was not familiar with Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on dual citizenship.
Rhodes-Vivour said the alleged oath of allegiance formed part of the grounds on which his legal team challenged Hamzat’s eligibility.
“We focused on the fact that this current person that I want to contest for governor, deputy governor, swore an oath of allegiance to another country,” he said.
“Constitutionally, that is one of the number one reasons to dismiss a candidate or dismiss somebody that emerges as the governor.”
He argued that anyone holding public office in Nigeria should not simultaneously owe allegiance to another country.
Rhodes-Vivour also revisited the 2023 Lagos governorship election, alleging that the poll was affected by violence and intimidation.
“You cannot swear an oath of allegiance to provide and to be there for that country in anything that you need, and then still be chief secretary of state of another country,” he said.
“I know in detail what happened across the state, across local governments. Now, I cannot accept an election that is not fair. I cannot accept an election that has had people wounded, beaten, stabbed, killed.”
The former Labour Party candidate said Nigerians should elect leaders whose commitment is focused on the country.
He referred to his own experience of living and studying abroad, saying he could have pursued citizenship in France, the United Kingdom or the US but chose not to.
“I could have had a plan B for my life, aside from Nigeria. But I love Nigeria so much to have a plan B,” he said.
“That’s the only reason why I did not do that. I did not want to give myself any other option apart from Nigeria.”
Rhodes-Vivour also cited former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, arguing that Hamzat could have renounced his alleged US allegiance before seeking public office.
“He could have gone and renounced that oath publicly and said just the way the former prime minister Boris Johnson did when he wanted to become prime minister, renounce his oath of allegiance to America or renounce his citizenship of America,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has backed Hamzat’s bid for the Lagos governorship election.
