INDEPENDENT
The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Monday dismissed the application of the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who was seeking an order for leave to consolidate his petition with that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Olajide Adediran.
The tribunal headed by Justice Arum Igyen Ashom also dismissed Rhodes-Vivour’s request to file an additional list of witnesses and their written statements on oath.
The three-Justice panel dismissed the application for consolidation after hearing arguments from all the parties on the grounds that the parties, as well as the facts, subject matter of their petitions and reliefs sought are different.
The LP candidate’s petition was brought against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Obafemi Hazmat, who were both declared winners of the March 18 election, as well as their party, the APC.
In Adediran’s petition, he and his party are the petitioners, while the respondents are INEC, Messrs. Sanwo-Olu and Hazmat, the APC, as well as Rhodes-Vivour and his party.
The tribunal also ruled that Adediran’s counsel had earlier indicated in the pre-hearing information sheet, Form TF 008 of the Electoral Act 2022, that he didn’t want his action to be considered with that of others.
