Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, the candidate for the Labour Party in Lagos State governorship election, stepped up his efforts to overturn Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat’s victory with an immigration attorney testifying on his behalf that Dr Hamzat had renounced his Nigerian citizenship before the election. Represented by his counsel, Dr Olumide Ayeni (SAN),
Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, the candidate for the Labour Party in Lagos State governorship election, stepped up his efforts to overturn Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat’s victory with an immigration attorney testifying on his behalf that Dr Hamzat had renounced his Nigerian citizenship before the election.
Represented by his counsel, Dr Olumide Ayeni (SAN), who led the witness, Mrs Oluwabusayo Fasidi, to the three-member tribunal led by Justice Arum Ashom, the witness stated that the Lagos deputy governor, who is 3rd respondent, renounced his Nigerian Citizenship while taking the oath of allegiance in the United States of America, adding that he also applied for naturalisation as contained in Forms 8CFR/337 and N400.
During the hearing, the petitioner also presented additional documents, including INEC result sheets from nine local governments in the state that contradicted the results inscribed on Form EC 40, which the tribunal admitted as evidence despite the respondents’ counsels’ objections. The court, however, instructed the respondents to express their objections in their final written address.
During cross-examination, Lawyer for the first respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Eric Gregor, asked the witness if she was aware that the 1999 Constitution allows an individual to enjoy dual citizenship, adding that the third respondent is permitted under the law.
The witness, on the other hand, told the tribunal that she was not aware of the section of the 1999 constitution and that she had only been asked to explain the US constitution, not the Nigerian constitution.
Mr Bode Olanipekun (SAN), lawyer for the second and third respondents, also asked the witness to tell the tribunal the date, time, and jurisdiction when the Lagos state deputy governor took the oath of allegiance and applied for naturalisation in the United States.
The witness, however, declined to disclose the information, claiming that the information is protected by the privacy act of 1974. While cross-examining the witness, APC counsel Mr Norris Quaker (SAN) asked if the witness was aware that the deputy governor had declared his dual citizenship, to which the witness replied that she was.
The senior advocate, on the other hand, contended that the witness was not privy to the facts of the case, stating that she was only aware of the laws and not the facts.
Having concluded the cross-examination, the tribunal adjourned the hearing to June 26th.
