Abdul-Aziz Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 Lagos State governorship election, has requested that the adjourned hearing of his appeal be transfered to Abuja.
In a letter addressed to President of the Court of Appeal Justice Monica Dongbam-Mensem on Monday, Jandor said the transfer would ensure fairness and objectivity without any interference.
Recall last week, Justice Dongban-Mensem directed that all election petitions pending in 36 state courts across the federation be transfered to Abuja and Lagos as part of efforts to eliminate political interference in the courts.
According to the directive, the Abuja division will hear appeals from 19 northern states, while cases from 17 southern states will be heard in Lagos.
Meanwhile, Jandor on October 13, filed an appeal with 34 reasons against the decision of the State Election Petition Tribunal of September 25.
The 38-page document was filed by his team of lawyers led by Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN).
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide SanwuOlu; his deputy Obafemi Hamzat; The All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labor Party (LP) and its candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Wivor are listed as respondents in the appeal.
Based on the appeal, the PDP candidate and his party reiterated the disqualification of the APC and PL candidates in the petition.
Jandor also wants the Court of Appeal to declare that all votes cast for both the candidate and the APC in that election were wasted votes as they were ineligible to participate in the election.
The person who receives the third highest number of votes in that election and complies with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act is the candidate eligible to return as the winner of that election.
He, however asked the court to declare the certificate of return issued to Sanwo-Olu null and void and that INEC should issue him a Certificate of Return as the duly elected governor of Lagos State.
