COURT ORDERS INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT OF ADAMAWA SUPPLEMENTARY GOVERNORSHIP POLLS
The Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), an opposition party and its supposed candidate, Eric Theman, had approached the court to cancel the election on the grounds that the party’s logo is not on the ballot paper.
Penpushing recalled that, the Adamawa Governorship election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) arguing that the margin of victory was less than the cancelled votes in the state.
However, before the decision, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Fintiri was leading his closest challenger, incumbent Governor Umar Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Penpushing further reports that, Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while appearing in the matter, through Joseph Gadzama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) leading eight other counsel, had filed a motion for Fintiri to be joined in the suit.
The Counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okechukwu Udeze (SAN) leading six others, also applied for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be joined in the suit, while lawyers to Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD),Adeyemi Pitan, and Eric Theman, however, opposed the motion of the two parties on grounds that the two applications were not served on him in due time.
Penpushing also reports that, the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) counsel argued that the only business of the court for the day was the March 14 application for an interlocutory injunction to stop the supplementary election, not the hearing of any motion.
The lead counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tanimu Inuwa (SAN), however, prayed the court to discharge the injunction on grounds that it has no jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The Counsel cited section 25 subsection 1 of the Constitution, saying that “INEC being a federal organ, challenging its decision should be through a federal high court not a state high court.”
Penpushing reports that, the Senior Advocate said the issues being canvassed before the court touched on the conduct of elections and that section 285 subsection 2 of the Constitution places conduct of an election in the purview of election tribunals.
The lawyer posited that said that Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy( MRDD) has no locus standi to approach the court because it has not fulfilled all the electoral process, adding that it has no interest in the case.
Penpushing reports that, Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri adjourned the case to March 26, and ruled that he needed time to study the voluminous documents submitted by the counsel to the various parties.
