- Governor hails judiciary, recommits self to greater Lagos agenda
The Court of Appeal in Lagos has dismissed the suit filed by Abdulazeez Adediran, governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
The judgement was delivered by Justice Yargata Nimpar, Justice Samuel Bola and Justice Paul Bassey.
Delivering its unanimous decision on Wednesday, the three-member panel led by Yargata Nimpar dismissed the grounds of appeal raised by Adediran, popularly known as Jandor.
The panel upheld the judgement of the tribunal that affirmed the victory of Sanwo-Olu as the elected governor of Lagos, in the March 18 election.
The PDP had told the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos that Jandor was the only candidate who met the constitutional requirement to stand for the March 18 governorship elections amongst the trio before the court.
The party claimed that both the candidate of the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, respectively were not qualified to contest the 2023 election due to their constitutional breach.
Thus, it asked the Court of Appeal to disqualify Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Tuesday November 7, 2023, however adjourned the matter and promised to get back to the parties concerned on the 34 Grounds of Appeal filed by
Adediran and the PDP, in the appeal dated October 13 had expressed dissatisfaction in the alleged miscarriage of laws that characterized the tribunal judgement and therefore asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgement of the tribunal.
In his notice of appeal, Jandor said that the State Election Petitions Tribunal erred in law and thereby reached a wrong conclusion when it dismissed the petition he lodged to challenge the qualifications of Sanwo-Olu of APC who was announced as the winner of the election.
Jandor’s appeal sought to overturn the “miscarriage of laws that characterised the tribunal judgment.”
He stated, among others, that the tribunal erred in law and its conclusion, which dismissed his petition to challenge the qualifications of Sanwo-Olu and his running mate, Obafemi Hamzat, as winners of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Governor hails judiciary, recommits self to greater Lagos agenda
Meanwhile, Governor Sanwo-Olu has commended the Nigerian judiciary for its role in enhancing the country’s democracy following the reaffirmation of his reelection by the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos.
Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed his appreciation in a statement signed on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyaga Akosile.
He noted that the judgment had further strengthened his confidence in the country’s judicial system, promising his unwavering commitment to continue impacting the lives of all residents of the state.
The governor urged political opponents to join him in delivering dividends of democracy across the state.
He described the ruling delivered on Wednesday, which affirmed him as the duly elected governor of the state, as a validation of “the position of Lagosians who freely cast their ballots to return my deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and me as Governor and Deputy Governor of our dear State. We do not take it for granted.
“Today’s judicial pronouncements, like those of the Lagos State Elections Petition Tribunal, have bolstered my confidence in our country’s judicial system. The Court examined all the issues and did justice to them, leaving no one in doubt as to who was the rightful winner of the election.
“Our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), will continue to maintain its firm belief in the judicial process.
“My deputy and I have satisfied all the constitutional requirements and are now more focused on delivering democratic dividends to our people.
“With deep gratitude to the Almighty God, I humbly accept today’s Appeal Court verdict, with a sense of responsibility and a desire to continue with the giant strides of our administration to leave a great legacy for our people.
“The judicial victory has further strengthened my resolve to positively impact the lives of Lagos residents, regardless of their political persuasion, in line with our THEMES+ development agenda.
“We urge our opponents to embrace the olive branch and join our sure march to a Greater Lagos that keeps rising by the day,” the governor added.