Court to hear suit on Rivers’ Gov’ship election March 28
Andrew Orolua, Abuja
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed March 28 to hear three separate suits seeking to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the collation, conclusion and announcement of March 9, 2019 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State.
Justice Ekwo had last Friday after declining the request of the African Action Congress (AAC), Engr. Biokpomabo Awara and Ben-Gurion Peter, to stop the collation of results of Rivers State Governorship and House of Assembly election, adjourned till yesterday (Monday) for hearing of both the ex-parte application and the main suits.
When the matter resumed on Monday, the court held that the ex-parte application has been overtaken by event, as both parties were in court.
But the lawyers said they need time to file their papers in response to the plaintiff suit.
Justice Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter till March 28, for hearing of the main suit and ordered parties to regularise their processes in the suit.
Recall that INEC had two weeks ago fixed Wednesday, March 20, for the resumption of collation, conclusion and announcement of the remaining results in the election.
The electoral body had suspended the electoral process after some military personnel and armed men invaded its collation centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
After it suspended the process, INEC then constituted a fact finding committee to look into the issue and advise accordingly. Following the report of the fact finding committee, INEC then announced that it would resume collation of the results in Rivers State, adding that it has in its custody results already collated and announced from 17 local governments areas.
INEC announcement prompted the plaintiffs to approach the court for an order to stop INEC from resuming collation of the election results.
The plaintiffs represented by Tawo Tawo SAN, had in their originating summons prayed the court to stop INEC from resuming, collating and concluding the March 9 election results in Rivers State and from declaring any person or group as winners of the poll.
Two other suits on the Rivers Governorship election similar to the one filed by AAC have been adjourned to same date, March 28 for hearing.
