The Supreme Court on Tuesday has reserved judgement in the appeal of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abdulazeez Adeniran (also known as Jandor) and the candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour against the victory of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the March 18th governorship elections in Lagos state.

A five-member panel of the court led by Justice John Okoro made the declaration after the adoption of briefs by the lawyers of the concerned parties and the submission of their final statements.

The panel also stated that it would later communicate the date of the judgement to the concerned parties.

Both Candidates of the PDP and Labour Party have approached the apex court in separate appeals to nullify the rulings of the lower courts, which have affirmed Mr Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat as the winners of the state governorship election.

In his submission to the apex court, the legal counsel of the PDP candidate, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, asked the court to nullify the victory of the APC candidate, who is the second respondent in the case, on the ground that he did not submit his West Africa Examination Certificate (WAEC).

The legal counsel of the Labour Party candidate, Olagbade Benson, also prayed to the apex court to upturn the outcome of the victory of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy on the ground that the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has dual citizenship and that he has sworn an oath of allegiance to the United States of America.

In his response, Wole Olanipekun SAN, the legal counsel for Mr. Sanwo-Olu and his deputy told the court that the court does not have the “jurisdiction to hear the appeal. The appellant is asking the court to review the evidence. Sanwo-Olu did not submit the WAEC result; the appellant-accused him of forgery in the form he submitted to INEC. He did not submit the certificate, yet they brought two copies of the said WAEC certificates and alleged forgery. They are claiming a certificate not submitted is forged.”

He asked the Supreme Court to set aside the appeals of the candidates of the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party against his clients.

Muiz Banire SAN, the legal counsel for the APC, also agreed with the legal counsel of the 1st and 2nd respondents in the case, saying that the case presented against the candidates of APC are pre-election matters.

Recall that the legal fireworks on the outcome of the Lagos State Governorship Elections began when both the candidates of PDP and Labour Party dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC and its candidates to the electoral petition tribunal to challenge the outcome of the state poll in March.

Mr Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour and Mr Adediran requested that the tribunal reverse Mr Sanwo-Olu’s victory. The tribunal, however, rejected their appeal and went on to declare Sanwo-Olu the legitimate victor of the gubernatorial contest.

Not satisfied with the tribunal ruling, they approached the appellate court to rule in their favour, but a three-man panel of the Court led by Justice Yargata Nimpar, dismissed the two separate prayers for lacking merit.