Rhodes-Vivour Faults Obafemi Hamzat’s Candidacy Over Alleged US Oath of Allegiance

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Lagos State, has questioned the eligibility of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat to contest the 2027 governorship election, citing an alleged oath of allegiance to the United States.

Rhodes-Vivour raised the issue on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, recalling the controversy surrounding Hamzat’s eligibility during the 2023 governorship election.

He said his legal team had relied on the alleged US oath of allegiance when challenging Hamzat’s qualification as the running mate to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the 2023 election.

“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,” Rhodes-Vivour said.

He argued that such an oath raised constitutional questions about Hamzat’s eligibility to occupy executive office in Nigeria.

During the 2023 election petition proceedings, US immigration lawyer Olubusayo Fasidi testified before the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that Hamzat had applied for US naturalisation and taken an oath of allegiance to the United States.

Fasidi, however, told the tribunal that she had been invited to explain US immigration law and was not familiar with Nigeria’s constitutional provisions concerning dual citizenship.

Rhodes-Vivour had previously challenged Hamzat’s eligibility before the tribunal, citing Section 182(1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution and arguing that a declaration of allegiance to another country could disqualify a governorship candidate.

Court proceedings in 2023 also showed that Hamzat tendered Nigerian and American passports before the tribunal, alongside other documents relating to his candidacy.

Rhodes-Vivour further argued that Hamzat could have publicly renounced any alleged US allegiance before seeking elective office, citing former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who renounced his US citizenship.

Meanwhile, Hamzat remains the All Progressives Congress candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election and has received the backing of President Bola Tinubu.

The renewed argument comes as political activities and legal debates surrounding the 2027 Lagos governorship race intensify.