Afrigather Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petitions filed by the Allied Peoples’ Motion (APM) and Motion Peoples Get together (APP) in opposition to the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.
Way of life Nigeria stories that the Chairman of the three-man Tribunal, Justice Arum Ashom, dismissed the petition after the petitioners withdrew them.
Different members of the Tribunal are Justice Mikail Abdullahi and Justice Igho Braimoh.
On the sitting of the tribunal on Wednesday, the petitioners by means of their attorneys, Henry Bello representing the APM and Francis Ese for the APP, instructed the Tribunal that their consumer had misplaced curiosity in pursuing the petitions.
Aside from the Lagos State governor and his deputy, the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are different respondents to the 2 petitions.
Sanwo-Olu polled 762,134 votes to defeat his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who scored 312,329, whereas the PDP’s Jide Adediran, who got here third, garnered 62,449 votes.
The candidate of APM, Funmilayo Kupoluyi scored 884 whereas the candidate of APP, Abiola Adeyemi scored 259, in line with the outcomes introduced by the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC).
The events had argued of their separate petitions that Sanwo-Olu and his deputy weren’t certified to contest the election and that INEC did not adjust to the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Structure.
When the case was known as, the lawyer to APM, Bello knowledgeable the Tribunal that the movement for withdrawal was predicated on 4 grounds supported by two affidavits sworn to by Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, the occasion’s Nationwide Chairman.
“Our candidate has misplaced curiosity within the petition and has proceeded to congratulate the second respondent. We urge the tribunal to strike out this petition,” he mentioned.
Counsel to the APP additionally instructed the Tribunal that he had the directive of the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Okey Nwosu, to withdraw the petition.
In his response, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, John Baiyeshe who represented INEC within the APM petition, didn’t oppose the appliance however requested the courtroom to dismiss the petition slightly than strike it out, as a result of events had joined points.
Whereas counsel to Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, Ayuba Kawu and that of the APC, Abiodun Owonikoko, didn’t oppose the appliance for withdrawal, additionally they aligned themselves with Baiyeshe’s argument that the petition be dismissed.
Kawu mentioned, “We’ve no objection to the appliance and no settlement or endeavor in relation to the withdrawal of the petition. We align that the suitable order to make is dismissal.”
Owonikoko additionally submitted that it’s trite regulation that the suitable order is dismissal the place pleadings have been joined. As soon as points are joined and the time for submitting a brand new petition has lapsed, the proper order is dismissal, not placing out.
In his ruling, Justice Ashom held that “the sum impact of what the petitioners mentioned is that the petition is withdrawn. The respondents have filed an affidavit of non-collusion and didn’t object”.
“Contemplating the extent at which the petition is and that pleadings have been closed, we order that the petition be dismissed,” he added.
