Sanwo-Olu jittery as tribunal reserves judgment over his alleged disqualification to contest for election
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Both Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy Obafemi Hamzat are jittery as they wait to know whether they will remain in office or be sacked over allegations levelled by Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor, and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
After counsel adopted their final written addresses at the weekend, the Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal, headed by Judge Arum Ashom, reserved judgment and said it would communicate the date to the parties.
Jandor, Rhodes-Vivour, and their parties are the petitioners.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the first respondent, Sanwo-Olu second, Hamzat third, and the APC fourth.
Sanwo-Olu is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jandor is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP).
One of the key allegations Jandor made at the tribunal is that Sanwo-Olu forged his West African School Certificate Examination (WAECE) result in 1981, which he later used to obtain admission to the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
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Argument by APC, Sanwo-Olu’s camp
The two petitioners were absent in court but Hamzat was present when the parties adopted their final written addresses.
Sanwo-Olu’s counsel Wole Olanipekun, SAN asked the court to dismiss the petitions of the LP and the PDP for lacking in merit and for being mere academic exercises, per reporting by Vanguard.
Olanipekun also argued that
- In the address by the LP, there was no reference to the second respondent (Sanwo-Olu) but instead dwelt on the third respondent (Hamzat).
- The matter of non-qualification of Hamzat as claimed by the LP was of no issue as his alleged renunciation of Nigerian citizenship and the swearing of oath of allegiance to the United States were not sufficiently proven.
APC counsel Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN also contended the allegation about the citizenship of Hamzat was not duly proven by the petitioners.
Position of LP, Rhodes-Vivour
Olatunji Benson, counsel to LP and Rhodes-Vivour, asked the tribunal to hold that Hamzat did not qualify to contest and he and Sanwo-Olu should be removed from office and Rhodes-Viour declared Governor.
Submission by PDP, Jandor
PDP counsel Clement Onwuenwunor insisted that:
“The discrepancies in Sanwo-Olu’s …. WAEC statement of result and the names on the master list provided by WAEC, which is also different from what is on his first and second degree certificate, have vindicated the petitioner that the WAEC statement of result is in question and he lied on oath, and therefore was not qualified to be Governor.”
Rhodes-Vivour, whose name he said did not appear on the updated membership register of LP presented to the INEC and tendered at the tribunal, also did not qualify to run for the governorship election on March 18.
INEC counters petitions
INEC lawyer Charles Edosonwan, SAN urged the tribunal to dismiss Rhodes-Vivour’s petition for lack of evidence.
Said he: “One of the issues raised by the petitioner is whether the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act? On this issue, we say that they have provided no scintilla of proof to show it wasn’t.
“A petition erected on such an allegation was sought to be proven by 10 witnesses in a state that has 13,325 polling units. The petition is materially challenged.”
