The Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship candidate, Chief Owolabi Salis has filed a petition in the Lagos State Governorship Electoral Tribunal to stop the inauguration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Executive Governor on May 29. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/2/2019 has the AD as co-petitioner. The petition alleges that Sanwo-Olu has a criminal record in the U.S., is of unsound mind and should be disqualified by the Tribunal from being sworn-in as Governor. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sanwo-Olu, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner are listed as respondents to the Petition.

Other respondents are -The Returning Officer for The Lagos State Governorship Election, the Commissioner of Police and the Nigerian Army. The Petition, a copy of which was made available to NAN, stated “The second respondent (Sanwo-Olu) is a person adjudged to be of unsound mind and who is not capable to be sworn in as the Governor of Lagos state.

“Sanwo-Olu has records of unsound mind and rehabilitation with the Gbagada General Hospital Lagos state. “By virtue of section 182(1)(c) of the 1999 constitution as (amended), the second respondent is a person not qualified to be sworn-in as a Governor. “Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the present Governor of Lagos state and who is the chief security officer of the state attested to the fact in Punch Newspapers of Monday Oct. 1, 2018, that Sanwo-Olu is of unsound mind and not fit and proper person to govern Lagos State. “Governor Ambode equally stated that Sanwo-Olu was arrested and detained for several months and was convicted for spending fake dollars at a night club in America.”

AD and Salis are seeking an Order restraining the Chief Judge of Lagos from swearing-in Sanwo-Olu as the Executive Governor of Lagos State. They also seek an Order restraining the Chief Judge of Lagos State in the interim from swearing-in Sanwo-Olu as the Executive Governor of Lagos state pending the determination of the Petition at the Tribunal.

Speaking to newsmen after filing the Petition, Salis said “I’m here to ask the Tribunal to stop the swearing-in of Babajide Sanwo-Olu pending the determination of the substantive suit. “The reason we are making the request to the Tribunal today is because of facts known to all Lagosians. “Babajide Sanwo-Olu has some mental issues and the constitution describes those who cannot occupy the position of Governor. “That includes people who are of unsound mind and of course those who have felony convictions in the last 10-years and it is of public knowledge that Babajide Sanwo-Olu was convicted for spending fake dollars at a nightclub. “The Chief Security Officer of the state, that is the current Governor, made these facts known to all Nigerians and the international community. “It is not the free will of Lagosians that someone who is of unsound mind or a felon to be fostered on them.” Salis alleged that Sanwo-Olu emerged as Governor-Elect as a result of “imposition and fraudulent schemes” as well as electoral malpractices. The AD governorship candidate said that in order to prove the grounds that Sanwo-Olu was of unsound mind, he and his party (AD) will subpoena Governor Ambode and the Gbagada General Hospital to provide the Governor-Elect’s medical records to the Tribunal.

Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi of the Labour Party (LP) who had accompanied Salis to file the Petition at the Tribunal told newsmen that the prayer before the Tribunal was for the disqualification of Sanwo-Olu. “This is an issue of disqualification. In the Electoral Act and Constitution, there are things that make you qualified to be a Governor and the Tribunal has the power to say a candidate is not qualified. “What we are saying that unsound mind is a ground for disqualification of a candidate for Governorship and the current Executive Governor of the state has confirmed it. “The Tribunal should declare Sanwo-Olu disqualified,” Awamaridi said. (NAN)

Update news