The Supreme Court on Friday, January 12, 2024, upheld the election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the governor of Lagos State, dismissing the appeal of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
The LP had challenged the eligibility of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Femi Hamzat, on the grounds that Hamzat acquired the citizenship of the United States and did not renounce his Nigerian citizenship as required by the Constitution.
However, the apex court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, held that the appeal lacked merit and that Hamzat did not lose his Nigerian citizenship by birth, even if he acquired another citizenship.
Justice Garba explained that Section 29 of the Constitution only applies to Nigerian citizens who wish to renounce their citizenship, not to those who acquire another citizenship by naturalization or registration.
He added that Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat met the constitutional requirements to contest the governorship election and affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier dismissed the LP’s petition.
