Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, yesterday granted a motion ex-parte brought before it by the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, for a substituted service on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Rhodes-Vivour had challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Sanwo-Olu as the winner.
The LP candidate through his counsel, Olagbade Benson, alleged that Sanwo-Olu had been evading service of the petition by the bailiff.
Benson alleged that Governor Sanwo-Olu refused to collect the document from the bailiff when the court official got to his office to serve him.
The plaintiff is praying the court to grant the petitioner/applicant leave to serve the petition and other processes “in this suit 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 is praying the tribunal to declare him winner of the March 15 governorship election.
He listed three grounds of appeal against the 1st to 4th respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the governor, his deputy and the APC.
Rhodes-Vivour is contending that the 2nd respondent, Sanwo-Olu, was at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the poll.
He said the 2nd respondent was invalid by reason of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and 1999 constitution.
He contended in addition that the 2nd respondent was not duly elected by the majority of the lawful votes cast in the election.
