The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the victory of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, following the earlier endorsements by the tribunal and Appeal Court in the state. The crux of the matter involved the Labour Party candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who raised concerns about the eligibility of Sanwo-Olu’s running mate, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, alleging a renouncement of Nigerian citizenship.
The court determined that Sanwo-Olu’s deputy is unequivocally Nigerian by birth. Additionally, it emphasized that the renunciation of citizenship by birth must be officially registered by the Nigerian president, a requirement not met by the appellant, who failed to provide evidence supporting such claims.
The appeal filed by the Labour Party candidate was subsequently dismissed by the court for lacking merit. Abdulazeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, from the PDP, raised a separate issue, asserting that the name Sanwo-Olu submitted to INEC differed from the one on his WAEC certificate. The apex court, in dismissing this appeal, deemed it “academic.”
With the rejection of both appeals from the Labour Party and PDP, the Supreme Court solidifies Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s position as the duly elected governor of Lagos State.
