By Alex Enumah in Abuja
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the
Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday stopped the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the collation,
concluding and announcing the result of the governorship election in
Bauchi State held on March 9 by the electoral body.
The order
issued on the strength of an ex parte application filed by the All
Progressive Congress (APC) and the incumbent Governor of Bauchi State,
Mohamed Abubakar, shall however last till the determination of the suit
brought before the court by the two plaintiffs.
In the ex
parte motion, the APC and Abubakar had prayed the court for an order of
Interim Injunction restraining INEC from resuming, concluding or
announcing the result of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of
Bauchi State in respect of the election to the office of Governor of
Bauchi State.
Justice Ekwo on Monday while ruling on the ex parte
motion had ordered INEC to appear before him on Tuesday to show cause
why the order sought by the two plaintiffs ought not to be granted.
Instead of complying with the order of the court, INEC represented by a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tanimu Inuwa, at Tuesday’s proceedings
approached the court with a motion challenging its jurisdiction.
Counsel
to the plaintiffs, Ahmed Raji SAN, however objected to the application
of INEC, informing the court that the order issued on Monday asking the
electoral body to show cause why the requests of the plaintiffs should
not be granted had not been obeyed.
Raji told the court that the
business before the court was to determine whether the earlier order had
been complied with. He drew the attention of the court to a press
statement issued by one Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and
Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, dated March 15,
2019, announcing that the electoral body will resume collation of the
Bauchi governorship election, adding that except the court grants the
interim order the subject matter of the two plaintiffs would be
destroyed.
Responding, Inuwa admitted that the order had not been
complied with and requested to address the court orally on the issue
however his request was refused by the judge.
Justice Ekwo held
that since the ex parte application was in writing and duly served on
INEC it behoves on the defendant to appear before the court with a
written or formal response.
In his bench ruling, the judge
granted the interim injunction restraining INEC from resuming,
concluding and announcing the governorship election result in Bauchi
State pending the determination of all issues raised by the plaintiffs
in their originating summons.
Justice Ekwo also granted
accelerated hearing in the matter and ordered parties to appear before
him on Wednesday, 20, to present their positions in the substantive
matter.
Source:- Thisdaylive
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