The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 governorship election in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, on Thursday, accused the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, of renouncing his Nigerian citizenship when he acquired the American passport.
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Rhodes-Vivour made the allegation through one of his expert witnesses at the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the Ikeja area of the state.
The witness, Mrs. Olubusayo Fasidi, who claimed to be a United States Immigration lawyer, told the Tribunal that Hamzat swore an oath of allegiance to the U.S., renouncing his Nigerian citizenship.
Fasidi, led in evidence by Dr Olumide Ayeni (SAN), counsel to the petitioner, also testified that the deputy governor applied for naturalisation as contained in Forms 8CFR/337 and N400.
Ayeni tendered the documents to the three-member Tribunal led by Justice Arum Ashom.
However, counsel to all the Respondents objected to the move, saying that the reason for their objection would be included in their final written addresses.
Other Tribunal members are Justice Mikail Abdullahi and Justice L. P. Braimoh.
During cross-examination by the lawyer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Eric Ogiegor, the witness admitted that an individual could enjoy dual citizenship.
She, however, said that she was not aware of the provision of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution that deal with dual citizenship.
Fasidi said she was subpoenaed before the Tribunal to explain U.S. law and not Nigeria’s Constitution.
When the counsel to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), asked her to disclose the jurisdiction and date Hamzat applied for naturalisation, she said she would not because the information was protected by the Privacy Act of 1974.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) counsel, Norris Quakers, asked the witness if she knew whether Hamzat disclosed his American citizenship, and she answered in the affirmative.
Earlier, Ayeni presented result sheets from polling units in nine local government areas of the state to establish differences in some regions against what was recorded on INEC’s Form EC 40A.
Counsel to INEC, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat and APC objected to the admissibility of Form EC 40A, reserving reasons until their final written addresses.
The Tribunal has adjourned the matter to June 26 for further hearing.
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