By Akinwale Kasali
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has had his victory at the March 18th, 2023, Governorship Election in the State upheld by the Election Tribunal sitting in Lagos.
The Tribunal dismissed the preliminary objection of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which asked it to dismiss the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
It was dismissed because the petitioner did not comply with provisions of the Electoral Act about payment of security as to cost.
It struck out the petition filed by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, and that of Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The duo of Jandor and Rhodes Vivour had challenged the election of Governor Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Obafemi Hamzat at last election in the State.
The Lagos State Governor had polled 762,134 votes to beat Rhodes-Vivour, who scored 312,329 votes, and Jandor of the PDP came a distant third, polling 62,449 votes.
In the petition filed by Adediran and his party, PDP, the petitioners based it on two grounds, stating that Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Hamzat were at the time of election not qualified to contest.
Adediran also stated that the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party Rhodes-Vivour, who was declared by the first respondent INEC as having scored the second highest number of votes was, at the time of the election also not qualified to contest.
While INEC is the first respondent, Sanwo-Olu; Hamzat, APC; Rhodes-Vivour, and the LP are listed as the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth respondents respectively.
The PDP governorship candidate said he was calling for the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party candidates in the election for “non-compliance” with the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the guidelines of INEC.
Chairman of the panel Justice Arum Ashom had announced that the court will first deliver judgment in the case of the PDP and its candidate before going to give its judgment in the petition of the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
Justice Ashom also announced that his colleague on the bench, Justice Mikail Abdullahi will read the judgment on behalf of the panel.
The APC in their preliminary objection asked the Tribunal to strike out PDP’s petition, but the tribunal dismissed the objection.
Some of the motion of the 2nd and 3rd Respondents to strike out some paragraphs of the Petition and additional statements on Oaths filed outside the 21 days provided by the electoral Act succeed in part.
Paragraphs 2,3,4,5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Petition were struck out. and the additional statement on oath that mirrors the struck-out paragraphs was also struck out.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s petition that its name be struck out from the PDP’s petition succeeded.
