Late on Monday night, the Lagos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal upheld Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s re-election as the rightful governor of the state.
The unanimous decision dismissed petitions from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Olajide Adediran, as well as one from the Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. Despite this, the PDP candidate, Jandor, rejected the verdict.
In its judgment, the tribunal found that the PDP’s petition lacked merit and affirmed Sanwo-Olu’s election. It addressed preliminary objections and confirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
The tribunal also determined that issues related to Sanwo-Olu’s nomination and a alleged forged certificate did not affect the election’s validity.
Regarding the Deputy Governor’s oath of allegiance to the United States, the tribunal ruled that it did not disqualify him from running for office as a Nigerian citizen by birth. Consequently, the tribunal affirmed the INEC’s declaration of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat as the duly elected governor and deputy governor.
In response, the PDP’s Jandor expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, claiming it contradicted constitutional and electoral provisions. He indicated his intent to review the judgment and decide on his next course of action.
