* Arising from LP, Rhodes-Vivour’s petition
The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has ordered a substituted service on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The order followed a ruling on an ex parte application filed by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, over the March 18 gubernatorial election in Lagos State.
Rhodes-Vivour and the LP, through their counsel Olagbade Benson, had informed the tribunal that Sanwo-Olu evaded service of the petition on him by the court’s bailiff.
They 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, they prayed the court to grant them leave to serve the petition and other processes on the governor and his deputy, through substituted means, by posting same via DHL courier services or any other recognised courier service company, to the respondent’s official residence at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos.
Rhodes-Vivour and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), in separate petitions filed on April 11, asked the tribunal to nullify Sanwo-Olu’s re-election and declare them winners.
The petitioners had challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election in Lagos State, in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sanwo-Olu the winner.