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Tribunal: Sanwo-Olu hails verdict, commits to delivery of campaign promises

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Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor, has hailed the judgement of the Lagos Election Petition Tribunal, which came in favour of the All Progressives Congress.

This was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, On Monday.

The tribunal, which sat for about 10 hours, and led by lead Judge, Justice Arum Ashom, dismissed two petitions filed against Sanwo-Olu’s victory in the March 18, 2023 election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The petitions were filed by the Sanwo-Olu’s main challengers – Dr. Olajide Adediran of the People’s Democratic Party and Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party.

In his reaction, Sanwo-Olu described the tribunal’s verdict as “Well thought-out and detailed.”

According to him, the judgement further affirms that his election was the people’s choice.

He further stated that the court’s decision further affirmed the judiciary’s commitment to principles of fairness and justice.

He said: “I am glad to announce the information I have just received that Lagos Election Petition Tribunal judgements have been given in our favour. I commend the judiciary and the judges that delivered the well-thought-out and detailed judgments. They took their time to explain to everyone the reasons that led them to the views and conclusions they gave today. We thank the judges for their firm commitment to the principle of fairness and justice.

“As it is, Mr. Deputy and I feel very privileged to have been elected to serve at this important moment in the history of our State. We thank all Lagosians for standing by us all through this journey. For us, this judgement is a victory for all. We are not coming out here to say somebody won or lost. For all of us on this political trajectory, there are no winners or losers.

He added that the judgement has re-energised his administration to ensure the fulfilment of all his campaign promises to the people of Lagos State.

“For us, our aim in governance is about service and ensuring that we are not distracted from all the promises we made to Lagosians. This judgement has allowed us to double up our interventions to ensure that we continue to deliver quality dividends of democracy to our citizens.”

Speaking further, Sanwo-Olu pleaded with Olajide Adediran of the People’s Democratic Party and Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, to accept the verdict of the tribunal in good faith, urging them to display the spirit of sportsmanship.

“I still want to allow opposition parties’ candidates that contested against us to join hands with us if they share the same passion and commitment that we have to serve. We are ready to sit with them and have a conversation about what ways they can channel their ideas in the development of the State. Lagos is big and its challenges are real, while its opportunities are boundless. There is always room for everybody to contribute,” Sanwo-Olu said.

However, the Governor noted the State Government would not be marking the tribunal judgement with any form of celebration. Instead, he stressed that he would rather divert his energy towards the responsibility of governance.

The party, Sanwo-Olu said, is free to organise events for Lagosians in marking the victory at the court.

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Akran of Badagry is dead, aged 89

The demise of the monarch marks the end of his 48-year reign on the throne, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Lagos State.

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Photo: Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi

The traditional ruler of the Badagry local government area in Lagos State, the Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi, is dead, aged 89.

The demise of the monarch marks the end of his 48-year reign on the throne, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Lagos State.

According to the palace, the Akran was pronounced dead by medical experts, after a brief illness, and the traditional rites for his burial have gradually commenced.

Residents of Badagry, who are currently mourning the loss of their revered monarch, described his death as a heavy blow, noting that the town has lost not just a king but a father figure whose wisdom, counsel and presence brought reassurance in moments of uncertainty.

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Osun sues UBA, officials to court over illegal LG accounts

They were specifically accused of allowing the opening, operation and maintenance of accounts for each of the local government councils “by unknown private individuals as signatories…

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• Map of Osun State

The Osun State Government has instituted a criminal case against United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and four of its top officials over alleged illegal opening of local government accounts.

Tribune newspaper reported that the Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has fixed January 30 for the hearing of the case, marked Charge No: MOS/601c/2025.

The defendants in the suit are: the UBA Plc, its Group Managing Director, Mr Oliver Alawuba, the Company Secretary and Group Legal Adviser, Mr Billy Odum and the Deputy Managing Director, Mr Chukwuma Nweke.

In the charge sheet, the government filed the 31-count charge against the bank and its officials, with each count relating to alleged infractions involving opening of bank accounts for the state’s 30 local government councils.

In count one, the prosecution alleged that the defendants, on or about December 9, 2025, and on subsequent days, at UBA’S Osun State branch office located in the Olonkoro area of Osogbo, conspired to commit a felony by opening, operating and maintaining what it described as illegal Osun State Local Government Council accounts.

The alleged offence, the charge stated, occurred within the Osogbo Magisterial District and is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

They were specifically accused of allowing the opening, operation and maintenance of accounts for each of the local government councils “by unknown private individuals as signatories” after the Local Government Service Commission had introduced to the defendants, Directors of Administration and General Services and Directors of Finance of all the local governments as signatories to the councils’ statutory accounts “and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 2 and 3 (1) and (2), and punishable under Section 5(1) and (2) of Osun State Local Government Accounts Administration Law, 2025.”

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Umahi: We’re not tolling Third Mainland Bridge

Umahi affirmed this during inauguration of the N40 billion Closed Circuit Television Camera Centre on the Third Mainland Bridge, the previous day.

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• Third Mainland Bridge

The Minister of Works Senator Dave Umahi has confirmed that the Federal Government has no plan to toll the rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

Umahi affirmed this during inauguration of the N40 billion Closed Circuit Television Camera Centre on the Third Mainland Bridge, the previous day.

He said : “We will not engage construction on this bridge because it will entail static load on the bridge.

“It is also within the town, so it will introduce many bottlenecks; that is why we are not tolling this bridge,” he said.

Umahi said that security would be handled by the police, noting that the 11-kilometre bridge would have a five-minute response time.

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