Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos State, has renewed his criticism of Obafemi Hamzat’s eligibility to contest the governorship election, citing the deputy governor’s alleged oath of allegiance to the United States.
Gatekeepers News reports that Rhodes-Vivour spoke on Tuesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme.
The issue formed part of Rhodes-Vivour’s legal challenge to the outcome of the 2023 Lagos governorship election, in which he also challenged Hamzat’s eligibility.
During the 2023 election petition proceedings, Olubusayo Fasidi, a US-based immigration lawyer who testified before the tribunal, said Hamzat had applied for US naturalisation and taken an oath of allegiance. However, the defence challenged the evidence and its relevance to Hamzat’s Nigerian citizenship.
The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal ultimately dismissed the petition, while the Court of Appeal later held that Rhodes-Vivour had failed to establish with evidence that Hamzat had renounced his Nigerian citizenship or sworn an oath of allegiance to the US.
Speaking about the matter, Rhodes-Vivour said his legal team had focused on the alleged oath because he believed it raised questions about Hamzat’s eligibility.
“We focused on the fact that this current person that I want to contest for governor, deputy governor, swore an oath of allegiance to another country,” he said.
“Constitutionally, that is one of the number one reasons to dismiss a candidate or dismiss somebody that emerges as the governor.”
Rhodes-Vivour argued that a Nigerian public office holder should not simultaneously owe allegiance to another country.
He also criticised the 2023 Lagos governorship election, alleging that violence and intimidation occurred during the process.
“You cannot swear an oath of allegiance to provide and to be there for that country in anything that you need, and then still be chief secretary of state of another country,” he said.
“I know in detail what happened across the state, across local governments. Now, I cannot accept an election that is not fair. I cannot accept an election that has had people wounded, beaten, stabbed, killed.”
Rhodes-Vivour said Nigerians should elect leaders whose commitment is solely to the country.
He cited his own experience of living and studying abroad, saying he could have pursued citizenship in France, the United Kingdom or the US but deliberately chose not to.
“I could have had a plan B for my life, aside from Nigeria. But I love Nigeria so much to have a plan B,” he said.
“That’s the only reason why I did not do that. I did not want to give myself any other option apart from Nigeria.”
The ADC candidate also referred to former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, arguing that Hamzat could have renounced any alleged US allegiance before seeking public office.
“He could have gone and renounced that oath publicly and said just the way the former prime minister Boris Johnson did when he wanted to become prime minister, renounce his oath of allegiance to America or renounce his citizenship of America,” he added.
Hamzat, who is seeking the Lagos governorship ticket of the APC for the 2027 election, has received the backing of President Bola Tinubu.
