COURT STOPS ELECTORAL COMMISSION FROM COLLATING BAUCHI GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RESULTS
The All Progressives Congress(APC), and the Governor in the ex-parte motion, prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the electoral commission from resuming, concluding or announcing the result of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State in respect of the Governorship election.
Penpushing recalled that, the election was initially declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as a result of incidents in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the State, but the commission insisted that it would go ahead with collating and completing the results sourced from backup result sheets.
The Governor, who scored the second highest votes in results so far collated, rejected the move,and preferred supplementary polls to be conducted, but on Monday, met with President Muhammad Buhari with a declaration to challenge commission’s volte face in court.
Penpushing further reports that, Justice Inyang Ekwo had earlier ordered Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to appear before the court on Tuesday to explain why the order sought by the two plaintiffs ought not to be granted.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , represented by, Tanimu Inuwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) however, filed a motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The counsel to the plaintiffs, Ahmed Raji while objecting to the application of the electoral commission, told the court that the order issued on Monday asking the commission to show cause why the requests of the plaintiffs should not be granted had not been obeyed.
Penpushing also reports that, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) told the court that the business before the court was to determine whether the earlier order had been complied with.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lawyer in response admitted that the order had not been complied with and requested to address the court orally on the issue, but his request was refused by the court.
Penpushing further reports that, Justice Ekwo ruled that since the ex-parte application was in writing and duly served on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it behoved of the defendant to appear before the court with a written or formal response.
The judge in his bench ruling, granted the interim injunction restraining the electoral body from resuming, concluding and announcing the Governorship election result in the State pending the determination of all issues raised by the plaintiffs in their originating summons.
Penpushing also reports that, Justice Ekwo equally granted accelerated hearing on the matter and ordered parties to appear before the court on March 20 to present their positions in the substantive matter.
