In a startling revelation, Olubusayo Fasidi, a United States (U.S.)-based immigration lawyer, stated that Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, took an oath of allegiance in America to renounce his Nigerian citizenship. Fasidi made this disclosure during her testimony at the Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal.
Fasidi, who was subpoenaed as a witness, explained that Hamzat, the third respondent in the petition, had applied for naturalization as evidenced by Forms 8CFR/337 and 400. However, when Fasidi sought to tender the documents as evidence before the tribunal, the counsel representing all the respondents vehemently opposed its admissibility, reserving their reasons for their final written addresses.
During cross-examination by the counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Fasidi clarified that individuals can enjoy dual citizenship. She emphasized that her role was to explain U.S. law and not Nigeria’s Constitution, and she was unaware of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) regarding dual citizenship.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat’s counsel, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), requested information about the jurisdiction and date of Hamzat’s naturalization application. However, Fasidi declined to disclose this information, citing protection under the U.S. Privacy Act of 1974.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) counsel, Norris Quakers (SAN), inquired whether Fasidi was aware that Hamzat had disclosed his American citizenship, to which she replied affirmatively. Quakers urged Fasidi to focus on legal issues rather than factual ones.
Justice Arum Ashom, the presiding judge of the three-man panel, admitted all the documents presented by Fasidi as evidence. He instructed the respondents’ counsel to include their objections in their final written addresses and adjourned further hearing until June 26, 2023.
Earlier in the proceedings, Dr. Olumide Ayeni, the counsel for the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, presented result sheets from polling units in nine local councils of the state to highlight discrepancies against what was recorded on INEC’s Form EC 40A. However, INEC, Governor Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Hamzat, and APC objected to the admissibility of the form, reserving their reasons for their final written addresses.
