Like the script of a Nollywood movie in the making, a drama involving a 27-year-old man based in Delta State claiming that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is his biological father is unfolding.
The man who identified himself as Emmanuel Sanwo-Olu, while speaking with newsmen at the premises of High Court 2 sitting in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta, said his mother, who hails from Oleri community in the Udu Local Government Area, told him that she had only him for Sanwo-Olu before she married another man for whom she had other children.
He said: “I am 100 per cent sure that I am the son of Governor Sanwo-Olu. I just want to see the man, Sir, as my father.”
Emmanuel, who told newsmen that he does “casual jobs” to survive with his wife and three kids, stated that for the past 27 years, he has not seen his father.
Counsel for Emmanuel, John Aikpokpo-Martins, also told journalists that the claimant was his client in a case in which the Lagos State governor is a defendant, which came up for hearing before the court earlier on Tuesday, December 6.
In the Suit No: EHC/148/2022 between Emmanuel Moses Sanwo-Olu and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the claimant averred that he was the conjugal product of a congenial relationship that existed between his mother, Grace Moses, and the defendant in 1994/95.
Also in his writ of summons issued by J. O. Aikpokpo-Martins, Esq., the claimant is praying the court for the following:
“A declaration that the defendant is the biological father of the claimant begotten from Madam Grace Moses of Oleri, Delta State.
“An order directing and compelling the defendant to acknowledge and accord the claimant all the rights of a son in accordance to all the laws applicable whether customarily, statutorily, or constitutionally.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further denying the parenthood of the claimant.”
The claimant, in the 19-paragraph statement of claim attached to the writ, claimed that Governor Sanwo-Olu was a staff of a private company operating in Warri and its environs in Delta State from 1994 to 1995, and in the course of working and living in Warri that period, he had an amorous relationship with a girl known as Grace Moses from Oleri village near Warri metropolis, Delta State from between 1994 and 1995.
He said, “The lawyers to Sanwo-Olu, Templas law firm, had earlier filed a motion to strike out the matter on the grounds that the governor was not ready to wave his immunity.”
Aikpokpo-Martins said he had also filed an application seeking an order for the governor to wave his immunity to come for a DNA test.
He alleged that the said Grace Moses eventually became pregnant for Sanwo-Olu in 1994 to the defendant’s knowledge and without any form of recriminations from him, adding that shortly after, the defendant left Warri and Grace Moses eventually lost contact with him till date.
Also, Aikpokpo-Martins disclosed that he had earlier filed a motion to strike out the matter on the grounds that the governor was not ready to wave his immunity but quickly added that he had also filed an application seeking an order for the governor to wave his immunity to come for a DNA test.
The legal practitioner said: “We are expecting that he will do that if indeed, he is sure that he is not the father of the claimant. But unfortunately, he invoked his immunity to say he is immune against law suits and he is not ready to wave it.
“Upon that, they brought the application that the Court should not hear the matter. The Court should strike out the matter.”
While pointing out that the matter was for hearing, Aikpokpo-Martins said, “We ourselves, we are not ready. I pleaded with the other side to give us time to see if this matter can be resolved. Resolved in the essence that if the governor will just wave his immunity and come for a DNA test.
“If he is sure that he is not the father of the boy, why should he be afraid of submitting himself to a DNA?
“We have situation where somebody that’s the claimant who wants to be aware of who he is but he has stated clearly in the case that, he has no family. His mother’s family is just half a family. They all know that he is the child of a woman and we know culturally, the child of a woman does not belong to that family. His rights are curtailed and things like that. And he is already having children. They need to know who they are.”
Aikpokpo-Martins urged the Lagos State Governor to validate the paternity of his client.
He said: “From now till the next adjourned date which is January 17th, let’s see whether morally his conscience can be appealed to or bring himself forward for a DNA text with Emmanuel. It does not need to be in the press. It can be done quietly. Nobody wants to actually make noise with him but he has actually extremely proven very difficult to scientific verification with the claimant.
“If it happens that Emmanuel is not his son, he goes home. It’s a very simple thing. But if it’s his own, then the young man will be happy that at least, he knows where he comes from. By then, he now has the power and authority to go into the Sanwo-Olu family as a member of the family.”
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