The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has fixed today as judgement day in the petitions filed by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the March 18 election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran (Jandor), against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The tribunal, led by Justice Arum Igyen Ashom had on August 12 reserved judgement after lawyers in the petitions adopted their final written addresses before the court.
However, the tribunal on Saturday informed parties in the suit that judgement would be delivered today.
Rhodes-Vivour, in his petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/04/2023 dated April 9, 2023, had urged the tribunal to nullify Sanwo-Olu’s election on grounds that he was allegedly not qualified to run for the election.The
LP candidate, in his petition, also contended that Sanwo-Olu’s emergence as winner “was invalid by reason of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”
He argued that, “The second respondent was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.”
Adediran, in his petition, contended that Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, were at the time of election not qualified to run.
He also said the LP candidate, Rhodes-Vivour, who was declared the first runner-up, was equally not qualified to participate in the election.
Jandor is urging the tribunal to declare all the votes cast for the APC and the LP candidates as wasted votes.
