Sanwo-olu Celebrates As Supreme Court Affirms Him Duly Elected

It is celebration galore by the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu and indeed the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) camp in Lagos.

This follows the Supreme Court affirmation that the governor was duly elected in the last gubernatorial election in the state.

The upholding of Sanwo-olu’s election is coming on the heels of a similar judgement but in constrasting terms, this time concerning the Borno State governorship election.

In that case, it is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that is having the last laugh: as its victory in the poll held on March 18, 2023 is being upheld by the Supreme Court.

The PDP through its flagbearer, Governor Bala Mohammed, thus defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Sadique Abubakar who had been challenging the election.

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In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Inyang Okoro, the Supreme Court ruled that the APC appeal over the election of Mohammed lacked merit.

In the case of Lagos, its flagbearer, Sanwo-Olu’s victory was upheld by the tribunal and Appeal Court in the state.

The Labour Party candidate in the election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, had claimed that the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, had renounced his citizenship as a Nigerian, and that this had voided their suitability for the election.

But in its ruling, the court held that Sanwo-Olu’s deputy is a Nigerian by birth, adding that renunciation of citizenship of a citizens by birth must be registered by the Nigerian president,.

It added that appellant did not provide an evidence to back up the renounciation claim, and therefore, dismissed the Labour Party Candidate appeal as lacking merit.

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The Eagle reports even the contention by Abdulazeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, of the PDP had also contended that the name Sanwo-Olu submitted to INEC was different from that contained in his WAEC certificate.

The apex court while dismissing appeal asserting that Sanwo-Olu is the duly elected governor of Lagos state.