The Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal is scheduled to announce its verdict on Monday regarding the petitions submitted by the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Olajide Adediran, commonly referred to as Jandor.
The message from the panel led by Justice Arum Ashom was conveyed to the concerned parties on Saturday.
Rhodes-Vivour and Jandor have initiated a legal challenge against the re-election bid of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, both members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the upcoming March 18 governorship elections in Lagos State. This challenge is being pursued through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
On August 12, legal representatives involved in the case presented their final written arguments before the tribunal.
In support of his petition, Rhodes-Vivour presented a total of 10 witnesses, among whom were four individuals subpoenaed to testify.
During his concluding statement before the court, Rhodes-Vivour, the candidate who secured the second position in the polls, asserted that his petition served as a critical examination of the Constitution’s provisions. He firmly maintained that rejecting it would amount to an endorsement of unconstitutional practices.
He urged the tribunal to disqualify both SanwoOlu and Hamzat, while simultaneously declaring him as the candidate who received the highest number of lawful votes during the Lagos Governorship Election held on March 18, 2023.
In contrast, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), serving as the first respondent in the petition, did not present any witnesses. Instead, they submitted two documents, which the tribunal admitted as exhibits.
The electoral commission has formally requested the tribunal to dismiss Rhodes-Vivour’s petition due to a lack of substantial evidence.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, who are named as the second and third respondents in the petition, have also urged the tribunal to take note of the petitioner’s lack of commitment to the case. They point out that the petitioner neither submitted a witness statement nor appeared in person to substantiate their claims.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has characterized Rhodes-Vivour’s petition as “insubstantial” and deficient in supporting evidence.
Furthermore, the PDP governorship candidate is pursuing the disqualification of both Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour in the election, citing non-compliance with the Electoral Act of 2022 and INEC’s guidelines as the basis for their request.
Jandor also called for the disqualification of the APC and Labour Party candidates, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, citing “non-compliance” with the Electoral Act of 2022 and INEC guidelines.
He further argued that the exhibit master list presented by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) supports his claim that Gov. Sanwo-Olu provided false information under oath regarding his qualifications. Jandor emphasized disparities between the governor’s submitted information and the records on the WAEC list.
Jandor and his party have petitioned the tribunal to nullify all votes cast for these two candidates in the election.
INEC, in response, contended that the petition lacks substantial evidence and urged the tribunal to dismiss it in its entirety.
The governor, his deputy, and their party, represented by their legal team, also called for the dismissal of the petition.
Rhodes-Vivour, in his response, characterized Jandor’s petition as “an academic matter,” emphasizing that the tribunal is not a classroom but a place for serious business.
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