Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
Former Borno deputy governor stands for Sanwo-olu. Former Borno State Deputy Governor Adamu Shettima Yuguda Dibal, who presided over the All Progressives Congress’s previous governorship primary election in Lagos State, testified before the Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday.
Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu was chosen as the APC Governorship Candidate for the 2023 General Elections in the primary poll.
The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate for the March 18 governorship poll are challenging Sanwo-Olu’s re-election as the state governor.
Mr Bode Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, led Dibal in evidence.
Dibal told the tribunal, presided over by Justice Arum Ashom, that the APC’s Lagos State Chairman, Mr Cornelius Ojelabi, did not violate any electoral regulations when he alerted the Lagos State Office of INEC in writing of the party’s primary election in Lagos State.
Mr Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), counsel to the PDP Governorship Candidate, Mr Abdulazeez Adediran (a.k.a. Jandor), asked the witness during cross-examination whether Ojelabi was the APC’s national chairman on May 24, 2022, when he wrote the letter.
The witness responded negatively.
The witness testified in court that the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) established state committees that ran the primary elections in all 36 states.
While being cross-examined by APC counsel, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN), the chieftain stated that Ojelabi was only informing the INEC office that the NWC had formed a five-member committee to conduct the primary election in Lagos State, of which he was the Chairman.
The witness also stated that following the primary election, he submitted a report on the process to the APC’s national secretariat.
In response to INEC’s counsel, Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), the witness stated that personnel from INEC’s headquarters and its Lagos Office were present during the primary election and signed a report on its conduct.
There was no cross-examination of Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s candidate.
Following that, the tribunal, presided over by Justice Arum Ashom, released the witness and ordered the APC to begin its defense on July 12.
Adediran accused the governor of presenting a counterfeit West African School Certificate to INEC – the Independent National Electoral Commission – in the appeal.
Hazmat was also charged by Adediran of failing to include an oath statement in his INEC Nomination Form EC9.
He further claimed that the APC violated the Electoral Act by nominating Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.
Adediran, who emerged third in the governorship election, closed his case on July 4 after presenting oral and documentary evidence.
(NAN)