By Milcah Tanimu

LAGOS – With bated breath, the residents of Lagos await the imminent verdict from the gubernatorial election petition tribunal. They hold the firm belief that the judgment should accurately mirror the desires of the general populace.

During the course of Saturday’s proceedings, legal representatives formally adopted the final written address. Consequently, the tribunal adjourned for the anticipated judgment in response to the petition submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Dr. Olajide Adediran, more commonly known as Jandor.

In the coming days, the exact judgment date is expected to be disclosed. Justice Arum Igyen Ashom, presiding over the tribunal, has assured that all relevant parties will be informed of the judgment date in due course.

Following the adjournment of the hearings pertaining to Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s petition on behalf of the Labour Party (LP), the Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal proceeded to consider the final written addresses submitted by legal representatives involved in the petition brought forth by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Jandor.

The three-member panel also deferred the announcement of the judgment date for this particular petition, promising to communicate it to all concerned parties.

In his petition challenging the outcomes of the elections that transpired on March 18, Jandor vehemently advocated for the disqualification of the candidates from the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party, namely Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, respectively. The grounds for the disqualification were non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the guidelines stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The respondents in the case comprised INEC as the primary respondent, followed by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Obafemi Hamzat, and the APC as the second, third, and fourth respondents, respectively. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the LP were listed as the fifth and sixth respondents.

In the comprehensive 40-page final written address, presented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Abiodun Olatunji on behalf of INEC, two crucial issues for determination and a preliminary objection were raised by the first respondent.