The Lagos State governorship election petition Ttribunal has granted the motion ex-parte filed by the Labour Party candidate, Gbadegbo Patrick Rhodes-Vivour, for substituted service on the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The Tribunal gave the order after Rhodes-Vivour, through his lawyer Olagbade Benson informed it that Sanwo-Olu had been evading service of the petition.
During the tribunal’s sitting yesterday, Benson claimed that Governor Sanwo-olu refused to collect the document from the bailiff when the court official got to his office to serve him.
The LP candidate had challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sanwo-Olu as the winner.
He asked the Tribunal to disqualify the governor for “non-compliance” with the Electoral Act 2022 and the guidelines of INEC.
Rhodes-Vivour, the sole petitioner in his petition, listed INEC, Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as respondents.
The Labour Party candidate also maintained that Sanwo-Olu’s election was invalid because of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution.
Rhodes-Vivour also argued that the governor was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.
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