Voter Registration Transfer: Court to Decide Senator Adeola’s Fate January 30

Justice J. O. AbdulMalik of a Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has fixed Monday, January 30, 2023, for judgment in a suit seeking to quash the transfer of the voter registration of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, from Lagos West Senatorial District to Ogun West Senatorial District.

Adeola, who is currently serving as a two-term senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District in the Lagos after he had equally served in the House of Representatives, is contesting to represent Ogun West Senatorial District in the February 25 elections on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice AbdulMalik fixed the date for judgment shortly after lawyers to parties concluded their arguments for and against the suit.

The plaintiff, Muideen Olamilekan Akintande had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and three others to court, to challenge the legality of the transfer of the voter registration of the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District in the 9th Senate to Ogun West Senatorial District.

The other defendants are the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ogun State, Senator Adeola and the APC.

Besides, Adeola is also the candidate of the APC for Ogun West Senatorial District in the February 25 elections.

Akintande in the suit marked: FHC/AB/CS/152/2022, is specifically seeking an order of certiorari from the court to quash the approval of the transfer of the voter registration of Senator Adeola from Idimu, Lagos State to Ilaro, Ogun State by INEC and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ogun State at a time when the senator is still a resident and residing in Lagos West Senatorial District which he his currently representing at the National Assembly.

His lawyer, AbdurRazak Adeyemi, in arguing the case, faulted INEC for approving the transfer of voter registration of the senator without taking into cognisance the notorious fact that the address of the senator on the website of the National Assembly is 32, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos State.

Responding, INEC and the REC, represented by Bode Olanipekun SAN,  maintained that they did nothing wrong, adding that once the senator submitted an application for transfer of voter registration, they are duty bound to approve the transfer.

Similarly, Mr. Omotayo Olatunbosun and Babatunde Ogala, who represented the senator and the APC respectively, opposed the suit and asked the court to dismiss it for being incompetent and lacking in merit.

 In a short ruling, Justice AbdulMalik held that judgment is fixed for Monday, January 30.