The Lagos Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is set to deliver its long-awaited judgment on Monday. This pivotal decision will determine the fate of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu following challenges to his election victory.
The legal battle stems from the keenly contested governorship election that took place on March 18. The Labour Party’s governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, have mounted a robust challenge against the victory of Sanwo-Olu.
Justice Arum Ashom, who leads the panel, relayed this crucial announcement to all concerned parties on Saturday. This move has heightened the tension surrounding the case, as political observers eagerly await the tribunal’s verdict.
The legal wrangling reached its climax on August 12 when the lawyers involved presented their final written arguments before the tribunal. Since then, speculation has been rife regarding the possible outcomes.
It’s worth noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had originally declared Sanwo-Olu, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the March 18 governorship election. His victory was marked by a substantial margin, securing 762,134 votes, while Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party came in second with 312,329 votes. Jide Adediran (Jandor) of the PDP trailed in third place with 62,449 votes.
The impending judgement has put the political landscape in Lagos in the spotlight, and the entire nation awaits the tribunal’s decision with bated breath.