Supreme Court Upholds Sanwo-Olu’s Election as Lagos Governor

The Supreme Court has confirmed Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s position as the Governor of Lagos State, reinforcing the decision initially made in March 2023 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Election and Its Aftermath

In the governorship election, INEC declared Sanwo-Olu the winner, a decision that was soon contested. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, with a vote count of 312,329, and Abdulazeez Adediran of the People’s Democratic Party, securing 62,449 votes, challenged the election results.

Their dissatisfaction led them to the Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal, seeking to overturn Sanwo-Olu’s victory.

The Tribunal’s Decision and Further Appeals

The tribunal, on September 25, found no merit in the appeals by Adediran and Rhodes-Vivour, leading to the dismissal of their suits. Undeterred, both politicians moved their battle to the appellate court. However, similar to the tribunal, the appellate court also dismissed their suits.

The Supreme Court’s Final Verdict

As their final recourse, both challengers approached the Supreme Court. In a ruling this morning, the apex court upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Lagos.

The Supreme Court dismissed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s appeal, citing a lack of merit.

Following the ruling of Sanwo-Olu as Lagos governor, the focus now shifts to how this decision will shape the trajectory of Lagos’s development and governance in the coming years.