The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeals filed by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the victory of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The apex court adjourned the matter for judgment after the counsel in the case adopted their briefs.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged victorious in the governorship election, defeating the candidates of the LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the PDP’s Azeez Adediran.
Unsatisfied with the election outcome, the LP and PDP candidates took their grievances to the tribunal, where their petitions were dismissed for lacking merit. The candidates then appealed the tribunal’s decision at the Court of Appeal, but their appeals were also dismissed.
During the proceedings on Tuesday, the LP’s counsel, Mr. Olagbade Benson, urged the Supreme Court to set aside the decisions of the lower courts and grant the reliefs sought in the appeal. He particularly emphasized the need to determine the eligibility of the deputy candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, who is a U.S. citizen, to contest the election.
In response, the counsel for Governor Sanwo-Olu, Nas Ogunsakin, argued that the appellants failed to present evidence supporting their claims, and the witnesses brought forward were incompetent. Wole Olanipekun SAN, representing the second and third respondents, accused the appellant of filing a different case at the Supreme Court, emphasizing a lack of connectivity between the current case and that of the lower courts.
Muiz Banire, counsel for the fourth respondent, urged the court to dismiss the appeal with a substantial cost, citing variance with what was pleaded at the tribunal.
On the PDP appeal, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, argued that the name Sanwo-Olu submitted to INEC differed from that on his WAEC certificate, urging the court to hear the appeal. INEC’s counsel, Ogunsakin, called the appeal against the concurrent findings of the lower courts and urged the court to dismiss it.
Olanipekun, representing the second and third respondents, claimed the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal, stating that the appellant was asking the court to review evidence. Banire, citing sections of the Electoral Act, described the matter as status-barred and urged the court to dismiss it.
The Supreme Court, led by Justice John Okoro, reserved judgment on both appeals.