- Oyo Tribunal receives two petitions against Makinde
The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has granted an ex parte application by the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Gbadegbo Rhodes-Vivour, for substituted service on the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Rhodes-Vivour and the Labour Party, through their counsel, Olagbade Benson, had informed the tribunal that Sanwo-Olu evaded service of the petition on him by the court’s bailiff.
They alleged that Sanwo-Olu refused to collect the document from the bailiff when the court official got to his office to serve him.
In the petition number EPT/LAG/GOV/04/2023, they are praying the court to grant them leave to serve the petition and other processes on the governor and his deputy through substituted means, by posting same via DHL courier services or any other recognised courier service company, to the respondent’s official residence at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos.
On April 11, the People’s Democratic Party Candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor, and the Labour Party Candidate, Rhodes-Vivour, separately asked the tribunal to nullify Sanwo-Olu’s re-election and declare them the winners.
The petitioners had challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election in Lagos State in which the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Sanwo-Olu the winner.
The Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal has received a total of 48 petitions in respect of the 2023 elections held on February 25 and March 11.
The petitions are pasted on the wall of the Rosaline Omotosho Courthouse, Ikeja, the venue of the tribunal sitting.
In another development, the Election Petition Tribunal in Oyo State has received two petitions written by candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement and Action Alliance in respect of the governorship poll and four for the House of Assembly elections.
The Secretary of the Tribunal, Ibrahim Sada, made this known on Monday, explaining that the first petition against the outcome of the governorship election was filed by the APM and its candidate, Adeniran Oluwaseyi, while the second was filed by the AA and its candidate, Babatunde Ajala.
The panel scribe disclosed that the petitions were filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Governor Seyi Makinde as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Sada said that the State House of Assembly petitions were filed by the People’s Democratic Party and its candidate for the Orelope state constituency, Olowokere Adewale.
The tribunal added that other petitioners included the All Progressives Congress and its candidate for Ogbomoso South state constituency, Adegoke Ayodeji; New Nigeria People’s Party and its candidate for Ogbomoso South state constituency, Adeniyi Oluwaseun.
Sada added that another petition was received from the PDP and its candidate for Saki West state constituency, Okedoyin Julius, challenging the outcome of the State House of Assembly election, while noting that the 21 days stipulated by law for the filing of petitions by aggrieved parties had lapsed, and therefore no new petitions could be filed again.
