In recent news, the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has granted an ex parte application made by the Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Gbadegbo Rhodes-Vivour.
The application was for substituted service on the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Rhodes-Vivour and the Labour Party’s counsel, Mr. Olagbade Benson, informed the tribunal that Sanwo-Olu evaded service of the petition on him by the court’s bailiff. The duo alleged that Sanwo-Olu refused to collect the document from the bailiff when the court official got to his office to serve him.
In the petition number EPT/LAG/GOV/04/2023, Rhodes-Vivour and the Labour Party are praying the court to grant them leave to serve the petition and other processes on the governor and his deputy through substituted means. This would involve posting same via DHL courier services or any other recognized courier service company to the respondent’s official residence at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos.
It’s worth noting that on April 11, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran, known as Jandor, and the Labour Party Candidate, Rhodes-Vigour, separately asked the tribunal to nullify Sanwo-Olu’s re-election and declare them the winners. The petitioners had challenged the outcome of the March 18 Governorship Election in Lagos State, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sanwo-Olu the winner.
The Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal has received 48 petitions regarding the 2023 elections held on Feb. 25 and March 11. These petitions are pasted on the wall of the Rosaline Omotosho Courthouse, Ikeja, the venue of the tribunal sitting.
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