The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petitions filed against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
The three-man tribunal led by Justice Arum Igyen Ashom told the petitioners yesterday that they would be informed of the date for judgment.
The decision was announced after counsels had adopted their final written addresses. Other members of the tribunal are Justice Mikail Adubulahi and Justice l.P. Braimoh. Rhodes-Vivour and Jandor are challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as well as his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 18 elections in the State.
INEC, Governor Sanwo-Olu, Dr. Hamzat, and the APC are listed as 1st to 4th respondents respectively in the petition. While the two petitioners were absent, the third respondent Dr. Hamzat was present in court yesterday.
Adopting his address, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s counsel, through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), asked the court to dismiss the petitions of the Labour Party and that of the Peoples Democratic Party for lacking in merit.
He described it as a mere academic exercise. Olanipekun stressed that there was no reference to the second respondent in the petition filed by the petitioners but instead, their address dwelt on the third respondent.
He argued that the matter of non-qualification of the deputy governor as claimed by the Labour Party was a non-issue as the allegation of his renunciation of Nigerian citizenship and the swearing of oath of allegiance to the United States were not sufficiently proven.
Counsel to the APC, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), contended that the argument of the petitioner about the citizenship of the deputy governor was not duly proven by the petitioners.
Olatunji Benson, counsel to Labour Party and its governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, asked the tribunal to hold the position of his clients that the deputy governor is not qualified to contest.
He contended that the 3rd respondent and the governor should be removed from office and that the petitioner be declared as the governor of the State.
Adopting his final written address, counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Clement Onwuenwunor, argued that Governor Sanwo-Olu did not have a secondary school leaving certificate and therefore was not qualified to be governor.
Counsel for INEC, Chief Charles Edosonwan (SAN), in his final written address, asked the Tribunal to dismiss Rhodes-Viviour’s petition for lack of evidence.
He said, “One of the issues raised by the petitioner is whether the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act. On this issue, we say that they have provided no scintilla of proof to show it wasn’t. A petition erected on such an allegation was sought to be proven by 10 witnesses in a state that has 13,325 polling units. The petition is materially challenged.”