The Court of Appeal in Lagos State is poised to announce its judgment today at 3 pm in the appeals filed by the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with its candidate, Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran.
The appeals challenge the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The panel, led by Justice Yargata Nimpar, had reserved judgment last Wednesday after hearing arguments from both parties. The other justices on the panel are Justice Samuel Bola and Justice Paul Bassi.
This follows the unanimous decision of the Election Petitions Tribunal on September 25, which upheld the re-election of Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat. The tribunal dismissed the appeals filed by Rhodes-Vivour and Adediran.
‘Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat Ticket is One’ – Tribunal, Strikes out Misjoinder
Rhodes-Vivour’s lead counsel, Olagbade Benson, urged the court to set aside the tribunal’s decision and interpret Section 182(1)(a) of the Constitution regarding the qualification of the respondents.
The appeal challenges various aspects, including the tribunal’s reliance on precedent to strike out evidence, the categorization of subpoenaed witnesses, and the burden of proof regarding the Deputy Governor’s Oath of Allegiance.
Court Commences Hearing for Appeals on Sanwo-Olu’s Verdict
In response, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, argued that the dual citizenship claim was not presented before the tribunal, urging the court to dismiss the appeal.
The PDP and its candidate, Adediran, also filed 34 grounds of appeal against the tribunal’s judgment, contesting the disqualification of Sanwo-Olu based on alleged false A Level WAEC Certificates. Jandor, as Adediran is known, asserts that issues of disqualification involve both pre and post-election disputes.
The judgment, eagerly awaited by supporters of these candidates, will determine the fate of Sanwo-Olu’s re-election victory.
