The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has described his petition as a “litmus test” of the superiority of the provisions of the constitution over every other enactment or law.
Channels TV report that, Rhodes-Vivour informed the Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal that “to dismiss his petition would amount to an endorsement of unconstitutionality and the possibility of opening every state in Nigeria to having persons with sworn loyalties to foreign entities liable to be conscripted,” citing Sections 182 (1)(a) and 187 (1) & (2) of the Constitution on the declaration of allegiance to another country and failure to nominate a deputy governorship candidate, respectively.
In his final written response to the final address of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, who were announced by INEC as the victors of the March 18 Governorship elections in Lagos State, he made the reply through his attorney Olumide Ayeni (SAN) and 12 other people.
Channels TV report that, The petitioner claims that because Sanwo-Olu nominated Hamzat, who broke Sections 182 (1)(a) and 187 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sanwo-Olu was not legitimately elected to the office of Governor.
Sanwo-Olu did not receive the greatest number of valid votes cast in that election, according to his claims. He also claimed that the election as it was conducted by INEC was marred by violence, overvoting, disenfranchisement, thuggery, and electoral irregularities.
Rhodes-Vivour called 10 witnesses in support of his petition, compared to just one each from Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.
The petitioner lodged a preliminary challenge to the legitimacy of Sanwo-Olu’s and Hamzat’s final written addresses in his final written address, which was submitted on July 28. He created just one question for the assessment:
“Whether the 2nd and 3rd Respondents’ Final Written Address dated 22nd July 2023 is invalid in light of the clear provisions of paragraphs 5(a), 5(c), and 5(d) of the Election Judicial Proceedings Practise Directions, 2022, and the Ruling of the Honourable Tribunal delivered on 6 July 2023 in Petition No. EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 between Dr. Azeez Olajide Adediran and Anor vs.
Lukundu (
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