‘Hamzat swore in US to renounce Nigerian citizenship’

A United States of America – based immigration lawyer, Olubusayo Fasidi, on Thursday said that Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, took oath of allegiance in the US to renounce Nigerian citizenship.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Fasidi, a Nigerian, testified before Lagos State Elections Petitions Tribunal.

She was led in evidence by Dr. Olumide Ayeni (SAN), counsel for the petitioner, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the March 18, 2023 election.

The witness told the tribunal that Hamzat, the third respondent in the petition, also applied for naturalisation as contained in Forms 8CFR/337 and N400.

Ayeni tendered the documents to the three-man Tribunal, but counsel for all the respondents objected, adding that the reason for their objection would be included in their final written addresses.

During cross-examination by Eric Ogiegor, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, the witness said that an individual could enjoy dual citizenship.

Fasidi, however, said she was not aware of the provision of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution that dealt with dual citizenship.

She said that she was subpoenaed before the tribunal to explain US law and not Nigeria’s Constitution.

Bode Olanipekun (SAN), counsel for Hamzat and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, asked the witness to disclose the jurisdiction and date Hamzat applied for naturalisation, but she said she would not because the information was protected by Privacy Act of 1974.

The All Progressives Congress counsel, Norris Quakers, asked the witness if she was aware that Hamzat disclosed his American citizenship.

The witness replied in the affirmative, and Quakers thereafter argued that the witness addressed issues of law and not those of facts.

The tribunal, led by Justice Arum Ashom, while admitting all the documents in evidence, ordered counsel to the respondents to include their objections in their final written addresses.

The other members of the tribunal are Justice Mikail Abdullahi and Justice l. P. Braimoh.

The Tribunal adjourned the case until June 26 for continuation of hearing.

Earlier, Ayeni presented results sheets from polling units in nine local government areas of the state to establish differences in some areas as against what was recorded in INEC’s Form EC 40A.

The Counsel for INEC, Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat and APC objected to the admissibility of the Form EC 40A, reserving reasons until their final written addresses.