The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has thrown out the petitions filed by the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) and Action Peoples Party (APP) against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.
OsunDaily News understands that the petitions were dismissed by the Chairman of the three-man Tribunal, Justice Arum Ashom, after the patties themselves withdrew the cases.
It was gathered that the petitioners, through their lawyers, Henry Bello representing the APM and Francis Ese for the APP, on Wednesday during the court’s sitting, disclosed that their client had lost interest in pursuing the petitions.
The lawyer to APM, Bello told the Tribunal that the motion for withdrawal was predicated on four grounds and supported by two affidavits sworn to by Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, the party’s National Chairman.
He said “Our candidate has lost interest in the petition and has proceeded to congratulate the second respondent. We urge the tribunal to strike out this petition.”
On the other hand, Counsel to the APP also informed the Tribunal that he had the directive of the Chairman of the party, Okey Nwosu, to withdraw the petition.
This platform, however, learnt that Counsels to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Baiyeshe, and Abiodun Owonikoko, respectively, didn’t object to the application.
Similarly, Counsels for the Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, Ayuba Kaw also did not oppose the application.
In his ruling, Justice Ashom held that “The sum effect of what the petitioners said is that the petition is withdrawn. The respondents have filed an affidavit of non-collusion and did not object.
“Considering the level at which the petition is and that pleadings have been closed, we order that the petition be dismissed.”
It would be recalled that Sanwo-Olu polled 762,134 votes to defeat his closest rival, the Labour Party’s candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who scored 312,329, while the PDP’s Jide Adediran, who came third, garnered 62,449 votes.
The candidate of APM, Funmilayo Kupoluyi scored 884 while the candidate of APP, Abiola Adeyemi scored 259, according to the results announced by INEC.
The parties had argued in their separate petitions that Sanwo-Olu and his deputy were not qualified to contest the election and that INEC failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.
