The Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal has upheld the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Candidate, Olajide Adediran (Jandor), challenging the outcome of the March 18, 2023, governorship election.
Justice Mikhail Abdullahi, while delivering the judgment, ruled that both Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, met the qualifications to contest the election under Section 177 of the Constitution. The judge noted that they are Nigerian citizens by birth, aged over 35, members of political parties, and educated up to at least the School Certificate level or its equivalent, as required by the constitution.
This ruling confirms Governor Sanwo-Olu’s victory in the election and affirms his eligibility to hold the office of Governor of Lagos State.
“We have considered the evidence before this court. He has the highest number of votes. This petition is dead on arrival.”
“Given the evidence adduced before the court, the grounds on which the petitioner is seeking disqualification of 2nd and 3rd respondents lack merit.
“I have found Gov Sanwo-Olu and deputy, Dr Hamzat duly elected and therefore declared them winner.”
However, Justice Arum Ashom and Justice Igho Braimoh aligned with the judgment
Earlier, the Tribunal had struck out the application of Jandor, who was seeking a disqualification of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s candidature.
Jandor had argued in his motion, alongside his formal petition in which he challenged the return of Sanwo-Olu and his running mate, Obafemi Hamzat in the March 18, 2023 governorship elections in Lagos State.
The petitioner had contended that Mr Sanwo-Olu was not qualified to be elected, and therefore wrongfully nominated and sponsored by his party, the All Progressives Party.
He had replied to section 134(1)(a) of the Electoral Act of 2022 which deals with grounds for instituting an electoral petition.
But, Justice Abdullahi, while reading the Tribunal’s decision on the matter, held that this position didn’t form part of the grounds for disqualification for election into the office of Governor, under sections 177 and 182 of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
The tribunal also declared that it has no powers to inquire into the primary election of the APC which produced Sanwo-Olu, saying it is a pre-election matter which doesn’t fall under its jurisdiction.
“Only an aspirant or member of a political party can complain about the outcome of the party’s primary, not a busybody like the petitioner.”
The Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal has continued delivering judgments in petitions related to the March 18, 2023, governorship election. In one of its rulings, the tribunal affirmed the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
The tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Candidate, Olajide Adediran (Jandor), stating that both Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat met the qualifications to contest the election as specified in the constitution.
Furthermore, the tribunal struck out the names of the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, from the list of respondents in the petition. It explained that a petition should be filed between the winner and the loser of an election, not between two individuals who both lost.
All exhibits tendered by Rhodes-Vivour and the LP were expunged from the tribunal’s records, preventing them from challenging any part of the judgment in Jandor’s petition.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Babajide Sanwo-Olu the winner of the governorship election with 762,134 votes, defeating his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who scored 312,329 votes.
