LAGOS TRIBUNAL DISMISSES APM, APP PETITIONS AGAINST SANWO-OLU

The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Wednesday, dismissed the petitions filed by the Allied Peoples’ Movement and the Action Peoples Party against the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, in the March 18 governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress are other respondents to the petitions.

APM and APP through their lawyers, Henry Bello and Francis Ese, respectively notified the Tribunal that their clients no longer had an interest in pursuing the petitions.

 The petitioners, in their suits, argued that the governor-elect, Sanwo-Olu and his deputy were not qualified to contest for the election, adding that INEC also failed to adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

The lawyer to APM, Bello notified the Tribunal that the motion for withdrawal was predicated on four grounds 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 petition,” he said while the Counsel to the APP said he had the instruction of the Chairman of the party, Chief Okey Nwosu, to withdraw the petition