The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has argued that his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Obafemi Hamzat, ought to be disqualified from the 2027 race due to an oath of allegiance he allegedly swore to a foreign country.
Rhodes-Vivour made the remarks on Thursday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
He sought to clarify what he described as a widespread misunderstanding surrounding dual citizenship in Hamzat’s case.According to him, citizenship acquired at birth differs fundamentally from that obtained later in life.
A person born with dual nationality does not voluntarily swear any oath, whereas an adult who applies for naturalisation must take an oath of allegiance to the foreign nation, something he said applies to Hamzat.
Rhodes-Vivour maintained that Nigeria’s constitution bars such candidates from contesting.“Hamzat’s oath of allegiance to a foreign nation should disqualify him from the governorship bid,” he stated.
He elaborated: “I think there is a misconception here with the idea of dual citizenship. So, a child that is born in England today or America that has dual citizenship has no say in that matter. So, he does not have to swear an oath of allegiance.
“When you come of age and you apply for yourself to become a citizen, you have to swear an oath of allegiance. You have to go to a ceremony that a child that was born there will not need to go through, and that’s what the difference is.
“Now, the concept of swearing an oath of allegiance, you need to look at what the oath is. It is saying that you are committed to this country at any point in time when they call you, whether to serve in the military or serve in any form that promotes their interest.”
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