GREAT TENSION!! Wike In Major Panic, Uncertainty Rocks Rivers As INEC Does The Unthinkable – See Details

Hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the collation, conclusion and announcement of the result of the governorship election in Bauchi State held on March 9, 2019, it has been reported that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reportedly ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the collation and announcement of the result of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Rivers state held on Saturday, March 9.

According to Sahara Reporters, Justice Iyang Ewa ordered the commission to halt its scheduled resumption of the announcement of the result, based on an ex parte application filed by the candidates of the African Action Congress (AAC).

It was gathered that the applicants prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from resuming, collating or announcing the results of the suspended elections in Rivers state.

Justice Ewa reportedly ordered INEC to appear before the court on Friday, March 22, for the hearing of the suit filed against it by AAC and its candidates in the election. The justice also allegedly affirmed that the court would give its final order after it concludes the suits brought before it by the plaintiffs.

While, INEC, represented by Ransome Uwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), challenged the jurisdiction of the court, Mohammed Abali, counsel to the plaintiffs, objected to INEC’s application, informing the court that the order issued on Monday, March 18, asking the electoral body to show cause why the requests of the plaintiffs should not be granted had not been obeyed.

The judge subsequently ordered INEC to halt the electoral process in Rivers till the court gives the final order. Recall that the electoral body had said it will resume the collation of the results of the elections in Rivers few days after the electoral process in the state was suspended.

There was a disruption of the collation process at some collation centres which led to the suspension the electoral process. However, after the report by a fact-finding committee set up to investigate electoral irregularities that characterised the poll, INEC concluded that it would issue detailed timelines and activities for the completion of the election on Wednesday, March 20.

Recall that the current national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) political party, Oshiomhole, the APC and Governor Abubakar have 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. The Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the collation, conclusion and announcement of the result of the governorship election in Bauchi State held on March 9, 2019.

Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the order on Tuesday on the strength of an ex parte application filed by the All Progressive Congress and the incumbent governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar. Justice Ekwo had on Monday while ruling on the ex parte 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, approached the court with a motion challenging its jurisdiction. Counsel to the plaintiffs, Ahmed Raji, 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.

Responding, Inuwa admitted that the order had not been complied with and requested to address the court orally on the issue. The judge, however, refused to grant the request. Justice Ekwo held that since the ex parte application was in writing and duly served on INEC, it behoved 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 an accelerated hearing in the matter and ordered parties to appear before him on Wednesday to present their positions in the substantive matter.

The plaintiffs in the suit are challenging the decision of INEC to resume collation of results of the election that was earlier declared inconclusive. They prayed the court to compel the electoral umpire to go ahead with a rescheduled election slated for March 23, instead of reversing itself on the earlier announcement.

Source: http://www.dailyadvent.com/politics/2019/03/20/great-tension-wike-in-major-panic-uncertainty-rocks-rivers-as-inec-does-the-unthinkable-see-details/