Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, along with his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has appealed to the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to reject the case presented by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party (LP) candidate.
The governor and his deputy assert that Rhodes-Vivour failed to provide substantiating evidence to support his claims.
In their comprehensive 43-page final written address, Governor Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Hamzat emphasized that the nature of declaratory reliefs sought in an election petition demands a compelling standard of evidence….CONTINUE READING
They stressed that this level of evidence must be of a caliber capable of persuading the tribunal to challenge the presumption of regularity.
The duo further maintained that mere admissions by opposing parties do not suffice to meet the substantial burden of proof required for declaratory reliefs.
They underlined that the petitioner must fulfill the substantial responsibility of providing conclusive evidence.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), in response to the petition, also argued that the petition lacked sufficient evidence to influence the Justice Arum Ashom-led three-person panel.
The APC contended that the evidence provided cannot lead to a conclusion that the votes garnered by Sanwo-Olu were unlawful or that the election was not substantially conducted in compliance with pertinent laws.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stands as a respondent in the petition, while Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the sole petitioner in this legal matter.
INEC previously declared Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat winners of the Governorship election on March 18, 2023, with Sanwo-Olu securing 762,134 lawful votes, while Rhodes-Vivour secured 312,329 votes, securing a second-place position in the polls.
