Nigeria: Supreme Court Upholds Sanwo-Olu's Election As Lagos Governor

12 January 2024

The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Governor of Lagos State.

Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed the appeal filed by Mr Rhodes-Vivour.

Justice Garba affirmed the qualification of the deputy governor, Femi Hamzat, to contest the election.

The Supreme Court rejected the appeal filed by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) seeking to annul Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's election.

In the judgment delivered on Friday, January 12, the apex court declared the appeal as unmeritorious.

Justice Garba, in the lead judgment, said that Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat's acquisition of United States citizenship did not strip him of his Nigerian citizenship, as he was a citizen by birth.

He noted that a Nigerian citizen by birth who acquires citizenship of another country cannot be disqualified from contesting an elective position unless the individual renounces Nigerian citizenship as specified in Section 29 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, the judge asserted that both Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat were qualified to participate in the election. The Supreme Court's decision aligns with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which previously upheld Sanwo-Olu's election.

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