Rhodes-Vivour argued that Hamzat became an American citizen as an adult and therefore must have sworn an oath of allegiance to a foreign nation.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Lagos State African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has argued that his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Obafemi Hamzat, ought to be disqualified from the 2027 gubernatorial race in the state for holding allegiance to two different countries.
He made this known on Thursday, 17 September, while delving into the saga during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
Hamzat, who is currently the Lagos State Deputy Governor, has been widely reported to hold American citizenship alongside his Nigerian citizenship.
Reacting to this, Rhodes-Vivour said his oath of allegiance to a foreign nation should automatically nullify his participation in the upcoming Lagos State governorship race.
He added that there is a misconception about the dual citizenship issue regarding Hamzat, explaining that obtaining dual citizenship at birth is different from obtaining it as an adult.
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He went on to say that for the APC governorship candidate in Lagos to become a citizen of another nation, he must have sworn an oath of allegiance to the foreign nation, and that ought to disqualify a candidate according to the Nigerian Constitution.
Speaking on the programme, Rhodes-Vivour said:
“Hamzat’s oath of allegiance to a foreign nation should disqualify him from the governorship bid.
“I think there is a misconception here with the idea of dual citizenship. So, a child that is born in England today or America that has dual citizenship has no say in that matter. So, he does not have to swear an oath of allegiance.
“When you come of age and you apply for yourself to become a citizen, you have to swear an oath of allegiance. You have to go to a ceremony that a child that was born there will not need to go through, and that’s what the difference is.
“Now, the concept of swearing an oath of allegiance, you need to look at what the oath is. It is saying that you are committed to this country at any point in time when they call you, whether to serve in the military or serve in any form that promotes their interest.”
