In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court has affirmed the electoral triumph of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State. This confirmation follows the earlier endorsements of Sanwo-Olu’s victory by the state tribunal and the Appeal Court.
The focal point of the legal challenge, presented by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party candidate in the election, revolved around the qualification of Sanwo-Olu’s running mate, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat.
Rhodes-Vivour alleged that Hamzat had renounced his Nigerian citizenship. However, the Supreme Court clarified that Hamzat is a Nigerian by birth, emphasizing that the renunciation of citizenship must be registered by the Nigerian president. The appellant failed to provide evidence supporting this claim, leading to the dismissal of the appeal.
Another contention by Abdulazeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, of the PDP, questioned the consistency of the name Sanwo-Olu submitted to INEC with the one on his WAEC certificate. The Supreme Court, considering this appeal as “academic,” dismissed it.
With the dismissal of both the Labour Party and PDP appeals, the Supreme Court conclusively affirms Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected Governor of Lagos State.