Lagos election tribunal dismisses suits against Sanwo-Olu, as APP, APM withdraw petitions
Lagos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ikeja has dismissed the petitions filed by the All People’s Party (APP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) challenging the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the March 18 governorship poll.
Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Arum Ashom, dismissed the petition, Wednesday following withdrawal by the parties.
Other members of the tribunal are Justice Mikail Abdullahi and Justice Igho Braimoh.
Counsel for the two parties, Henry Bello and Francis Ese, respectively, told “the tribunal that their clients had decided to withdraw the petitions.”
Other respondents in the two petitions were the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress (APC).
The parties had argued in their separate petitions that Governor Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, were not ‘qualified to contest the election and that INEC failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.’
When the case was called, APM’s lawyer, Bello, informed 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.’
“Our candidate has lost interest in the petition and has proceeded to congratulate the second respondent. We urge the tribunal to strike out this application,” Dantalle said.
Also, counsel for the APP, told the tribunal that he received the instruction of the chairman of the party, Okey Nwosu, to withdraw the petition.
Counsel for INEC, John Baiyeshe (SAN), did not oppose the motion but asked the court to dismiss it, and not strike it out, because the parties had joined issues.
Counsel to Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, Ayuba Kawu; and that of the APC, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), also did not oppose the motions for withdrawal.
In his ruling, Justice Ashom then dismissed the petitions.
“The sum effect of what the petitioners said is that the petition is withdrawn. The respondents have filed an affidavit of non-collision and did not object.
“Considering the level at which the petition is and that pleadings have been closed, we order that the petitions be dismissed,” Justice Ashom ruled.
It would also be recalled that in Enugu, the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had, Tuesday, dismissed an application seeking to stop the inauguration of the Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, May 29, for lacking merit.
The Enugu governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party, ADP, Nnamdi Omeje, and his party had rejected the result of the March 18 governorship election, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Mbah, the winner.
Omeje and his party alleged that the election was characterised by intimidation, over-voting and non-compliance to Electoral Act 2022 and INEC election guidelines.
Consequently, he filed a petition against the election before the tribunal sitting at the Enugu State High Court Complex.
Among the reliefs sought before the Tribunal was to stop the forthcoming inauguration and/or swearing-in of Peter Mbah as the incoming Executive Governor of Enugu State.
The petitioners, through their motion, urged the tribunal to make an interlocutory order of injunction restraining Mbah from presenting himself, to be sworn in or inaugurated as the Executive Governor of Enugu State on May 29, 2023.
However, ruling on the motion on Tuesday, the tribunal dismissed the application for lacking merit.
