Politics
Lagos Tribunal: Jandor Seeks Transfer Of Appeal To Abuja
Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 Lagos State governorship election, popularly known as Jandor, has formally urged the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongbam-Mensem, to relocate the hearing of his appeal to Abuja.
In a letter dated October 23, 2023, addressed to Justice Dongbam-Mensem, Jandor emphasized that the transfer is sought to uphold fairness and objectivity, free from any potential interference.
The notice reached the President of the Court of Appeal’s office on the very same day it was issued.
Recall that as a measure to curb political interference in the courts, Justice Dongban-Mensem directed the transfer of all election petition cases from the 36 states to Abuja and Lagos.
Special panels in these two states are now responsible for hearing appeal cases related to governorship, national, and state assembly elections arising from tribunal judgments, consolidating the process from the previous distribution across the court’s 20 divisions.
Special panels, comprised of justices from various regions, are now convening in Lagos to handle appeals from the southern part of the country, while a separate set of panels in Abuja is overseeing appeals from the northern region.
Jandor, on October 13, submitted a comprehensive 34-ground notice of appeal, contesting the State Election Petition Tribunal’s decision on September 25. The 38-page document was officially filed by his legal team, led by Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Babajide SanwoOlu, his deputy Obafemi Hamzat, along with the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Labour Party (LP), and its candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, were all named as respondents in the notice of appeal.
Within the grounds of appeal, the PDP candidate and his party reaffirmed the reliefs in their petitions, specifically seeking the disqualification of both APC and LP candidates.
Jandor is additionally seeking the Court of Appeal’s declaration that all votes cast for both candidates and the APC in the election were deemed as wasted votes due to their disqualification from participating in the electoral process.
“And that having scored the third highest number of votes in the Election and having satisfied the provisions of the Electoral Ac,t 2022, he is the validly qualified candidate to be returned as the winner of the said election.
“That the Certificate of Return issued to Sanwo-Olu is null, void, and of no effect and that it may be determined and declared that INEC shall forthwith issue the Appellant, DR. AZEEZ OLAJIDE ADEDIRAN, with a Certificate of Return as the duly elected governor of Lagos State.”
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
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According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
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Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
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The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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