Appeal Court upholds Sanwo-Olu’s election as Lagos governor

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for governor, Abdulazeez Adediran, filed a lawsuit against Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s election, but the court of appeals in Lagos dismissed it.

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commended the Wednesday ruling of the Court of Appeal affirming his election in the March 18 governorship poll in the state.

The appellate court earlier dismissed the petitions of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party and their candidates, Mr. Olajide Adediran and Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, respectively, challenging Sanwo-Olu’s election at the poll.

The three-member panel headed by Yargata Nimpar unanimously rejected the grounds for appeal presented by Adediran, also referred to as Jandor, on Wednesday.

The three-member panel, led by Yargata Nimpar, unanimously rejected Adediran’s grounds for appeal. This decision, delivered on a Wednesday, marked a crucial moment in the legal battle between the PDP and Sanwo-Olu. Understanding the grounds of appeal and the court’s response sheds light on the intricacies of this political dispute.

Adediran’s legal team presented several grounds for appeal, aiming to convince the court that Sanwo-Olu’s victory was flawed. These may have included allegations of electoral malpractices, irregularities, or other legal infractions. The specifics of these grounds, unfortunately, are not provided in the available information.

The Court of Appeal’s unanimous rejection of Adediran’s appeal indicates a certain level of confidence in the validity of Sanwo-Olu’s election. The legal reasoning behind this decision would likely involve a thorough examination of the evidence presented and an assessment of whether the alleged irregularities were substantial enough to warrant a reversal of the election results.

Reacting to the judgment on Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu said he did not take the ballot cast for him and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, for granted.

“With a sense of humility, I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal, which ruled today in our favor, thereby validating the position of Lagosians who freely cast their ballots to return my deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and I as Governor and Deputy Governor of our dear state. We do not take it for granted,” he said.

He added that Wednesday’s pronouncements by the court, “like those of the Lagos State Elections Petition Tribunal, have buoyed my confidence in our country’s judicial system.

“The court examined all the issues and did justice to them without leaving anyone in doubt as to who is the rightful winner of the election.

“Our party, the All Progressives Congress, will continue to maintain its firm belief in the judicial process.

“My deputy and I have satisfied all the constitutional requirements and are now more focused on delivering the democratic dividends to our people.”

While stating that he “humbly” accepted the appellate court’s verdict “with all sense of responsibility”, Sanwo-Olu restated his “resolve to impact the lives of Lagos residents positively, regardless of their political persuasion, in line with our THEMES+ development agenda.”

“We urge our opponents to embrace the olive branch and join our sure march to the Greater Lagos that keeps rising by the day,” the governor added.