According to Olubusayo Fasidi, an immigration lawyer with a practice in the United States (U.S.), Obafemi Hamzat, the deputy governor of Lagos State, has renounced his citizenship in Nigeria.
Fasidi asserted as much before the Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday. He also stated that Hamzat had taken an oath of allegiance to renounce his Nigerian citizenship in America.
Dr. Olumide Ayeni, the attorney for Labour Party (LP) candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who submitted the petition to the tribunal, led the lawyer who had been subpoenaed in testimony.
According to Fasidi’s testimony, Hamzat, the third respondent to the petition, submitted Forms 8CFR/337 and 400 in order to apply for naturalization.
The attorney attempted to present the documents to the three-person panel presided over by Justice Arum Ashom, but the attorneys for all of the respondents vehemently objected.
The respondents’ legal representatives stated that their final written addresses would include the details of their objection.
Eric Ogiegor, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), cross-examined Fasidi, and she responded that a person could have dual citizenship.
She went on to say that she had only called to explain U.S. law and was unaware of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), which dealt with dual citizenship.
The U.S. Privacy Act of 1974 protects the information, the witness responded when asked during cross-examination by counsel for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), to reveal the jurisdiction and the date Hamzat applied for naturalization.
In addition, Fasidi was asked by All Progressives Congress (APC) attorney Norris Quakers (SAN) if she was aware that Hamzat had disclosed his American citizenship. Fasidi responded in the affirmative, and Quakers then urged her to speak about legal issues rather than factual ones.
Justice Ashom ordered the respondents’ attorneys to include their objections in their final written addresses while also admitting all of the documents into evidence. She then continued the hearing until June 26, 2023.
