Election Tribunal dismisses suit seeking to stop Sanwo-Olu’s inauguration as Lagos Governor

BY: Justice Godfry

An Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, struck out a suit filed by the governorship candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Chief Owolabi Salis, and that of his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi, seeking to stop the swearing in of Lagos State Governor-elect, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The three-man panel, sitting in Ikeja, ruled that the petition filed by the two candidates seeking to stop the inauguration lacked merit and thereafter struck out the suit.

The petitioners had based their allegations on pre-election allegations made by the outgoing Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, that the governor-elect was treated allegedly for mental ailment at the Gbagada General Hospital and that he was also convicted for spending counterfeit US Dollars in the United States.

They had sought a restraining order stopping  Sanwo-Olu from being sworn in today, May 29, 2019, pending the determination of the issue.

The two candidates were of the view that swearing the governor-elect in would contravene provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Sanwo-Olu has mental issues. We are asking the tribunal to stop the swearing-in by reason of insanity.

“The constitution said only those who are of sound mind should be made Governor. We have information that he was convicted in the US for spending fake Dollars.

“The Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said it, it is well known to the international community, and Lagosians,” he said.

Source: Nigerian Tribune