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General News of Monday, 25 September 2023

Source: www.legit.ng

All charges you need to know as Lagos State election tribunal delivers judgment

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A collage of Rhodes-Vivour, Sanwo-Olu and Jandor A collage of Rhodes-Vivour, Sanwo-Olu and Jandor

Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will deliver its judgment regarding the petition filed by the PDP and Labour Party on Monday, September 25 (today).

The governorship candidates of the LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor are challenging the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election that took place on March 18.

Rhodes-Vivour wants the tribunal to sack Sanwo-Olu based on alleged non-qualification and claims of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

The Labour Party governorship candidate claimed that Governor Sanwo-Olu was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.

He is also challenging the eligibility of Sanwo-Olu's deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.

Rhodes-Vivour claimed that Hamzat renounced his Nigerian citizenship and swore allegiance to the United States. INEC is the first respondent in the petition, while Sanwo-Olu and his deputy are listed as the second and third respondents, respectively. The APC is listed as the fourth respondent.

Meanwhile, Olajide Adediran, aka Jandor, wants the tribunal to disqualify Sanwo-Olu and Rhodes-Vivour in the election for alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He claimed that the APC did not comply with the INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election, which stipulated that all political parties must give 21 days’ notice to INEC before the conduct of their primaries.

Jandor further alleged that the APC also failed to comply with the requirement of the Electoral Act 2022, which states that every political party sponsoring a candidate in the general election shall submit the nomination form of such candidate(s) not later than 180 days before the conduct of the general election in forms EC9.

Additionally, he alleged Governor Sanwo-Olu failed to attach a copy of the GCE O’Level result he claimed to have sat for in 1981 along with his form EC9 as required by the Electoral Act 2022.

Jandor wants the court to disqualify Rhodes-Vivour over alleged non-compliance of the LP with the requirements of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the primary election that produced the candidate. He alleged Rhodes-Vivour was still a member of the PDP as of 18 June 2022, when he claimed under oath to have registered as a member of the LP.

According to Legit, the APC chairman in Lagos state, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Rtd AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and other party chieftains and journalists are seated in the courtroom at the time of filing this report.

Lagos state deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat has also arrived at the tribunal. Gboyega Akosile, Governor Sanwo-Olu's chief press secretary, disclosed this.