The Court of Appeal in Lagos has affirmed Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s victory at March 18th Lagos State Governorship election, dismissing the appeal of Labour Party.
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The Court upheld the judgement of the election tribunal, thus confirming the return of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Lagos State.
The judgment was delivered by a three-man panel – Justice Yargata Nimpa, Justice Samuel Bola, and Justice Paul Bassey, on Wednesday.
The Appeal Court has also dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Azeez Adediran, challenging the re-election of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, for lack of merit.
Investogist reported that after the March 18, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was declared as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to INEC, Sanwo-Olu, 57 won 19 local government areas with 762,134 votes to defeat his closest challenger Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, who won one local government area with 312,329 votes.
Not satisfied, the LP and PDP candidates approached the Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal to nullify Sanwo-Olu’s victory.
In its ruling on September 25, the tribunal dismissed Adediran and Rhodes-Vivour’s suit seeking to nullify the victory of Sanwo-Olu at the poll.
Rhodes-Vivour had on October 7, 2023, filed 21 grounds of appeal challenging the decision of the State Governorship Tribunal which upheld Sanwo-Olu’s reelection.
The justices had on November 7, 2023, reserved the judgment of the Labour Party and its governorship candidate as well as that of the PDP challenging the March 18, 2023, governorship election.
In a unanimous decision, the three-man panel led by Justice by Justice Yargata Nimpa affirmed Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat as Governor and Deputy Governor of Lagos State.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
