12th January, 2024
By Paul Dada
The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Governor of Lagos State while dismissing the appeal of the Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
In a lead judgement read by Justice Garba Lawal, the apex court declared Rhodes-Vivour’s appeal unmeritorious.
Justice Garba said that the fact that the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat acquired the citizenship of the United States did not rob him of his Nigerian citizenship since he is a citizen of the country by birth.
He maintained that a citizen of Nigeria who acquires that of another country cannot be disqualified from contesting for an elective position, except they have renounced their citizenship in line with the provision of Section 29 of the Constitution.
He held that neither Sanwo-Olu nor Hamzat were unqualified to contest the election.