The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidates have filed a petition against the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) and the Lagos State governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The PDP candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran known as Jandor, and the LP candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, separately asked the tribunal to nullify Sanwo-Olu’s return and declare them the winner of the poll.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal had received a total of 48 petitions in respect of the 2023 elections held on February 25 and March 11.
The petitions were pasted on the wall of the Rosaline Omotosho Courthouse, Ikeja, venue of the tribunal sitting.
A breakdown of petitions against Sanwo-Olu showed that four were filed to challenge the governorship election.
Other petitioners are the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and the Action People’s Party (APP).
Rhodes-Vivour, who filed as a sole petitioner, listed three grounds on which his petition was based.
He alleged that Sanwo-Olu was not qualified to contest election at the time the election took place.
According to him, the election of Sanwo-Olu was invalid by reason of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the constitution.
He added that the governor-elect was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.
In the petition filed by Adediran and his party, PDP, the petitioners listed two grounds of appeal to the effect that Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, were at the time of election not qualified to contest.
Adediran also submitted that Rhodes-Vivour who was declared by the first respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) haven scored the second highest number of votes was, at the time of the election not qualified to contest.
NAN reports that INEC was the first respondent in the petition filed by Adediran while Sanwo-Olu; Hamzat, APC; Rhodes-Vivour and LP listed were as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th respondents respectively.
The PDP governorship candidate called for the disqualification of APC and the LP candidates in the election for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the guidelines of INEC.
Adediran also asked that all votes cast for them in the election be declared wasted.
NAN reports that the tribunal received five petitions challenging elections into the Senate, 26 petitions challenging elections into the membership of the House of Representatives for the different constituencies in the state.
NAN also reports that 13 petitions were filed to challenge the elections into the State House of Assembly.
