The Alliance for Democracy governorship candidate in the last governorship election in Lagos Owolabi Salis has asked the Lagos State Governorship Electoral Tribunal to stop the inauguration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Executive Governor on May 29, alleging that the governor-elect has unsound mind to govern the state.
Salis made the request in an interim application he filed before the Tribunal, saying that there were allegations that Sanwo-Olu had a criminal record in the US and also has an unsound mind.
Salis joined the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Sanwo-Olu, All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Lagos State Residential Electoral Commissioner as respondents to the application, which was filed separately from his petition.
Other respondents are: the Returning Officer for The Lagos State Governorship Election, the Commissioner of Police and the Nigerian Army.
He argued that the Governor- Elect 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 on Monday , October 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,” Salis said.
AD and Salis are seeking an Order restraining the Chief Judge of Lagos State from swearing-in Sanwo- Olu as the Governor of Lagos State.
They are also seeking 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.
According to Salis, “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.”
He said that in order to prove the grounds that Sanwo- Olu was of unsound mind, he and his party (AD ) would subpoena Ambode and the Gbagada General Hospital to provide the Governor-elect’s medical records to the Tribunal.
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