The National Conscience Party (NCP) has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Federal High Court, Lagos, for excluding it and its standard bearer, Pastor Peters Omoragbon, from the list of candidates in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state.
NCP’s standard bearer and the party’s National Chairman Mallam Tanko Yunusa, averred that the electoral umpire’s action without an order of court was unlawful, arbitrary, oppressive, null and void.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Marcus Eyarhono in his originating summons, said that the party complied with the election time-table issued by the electoral umpire by conducting its governorship primary in Edo State in the presence of the representatives of INEC and met all other requirements, but was unlawfully excluded from the ballot.
The plaintiffs are praying the court to declare that the omission is unjust, unlawful, arbitrary, oppressive, repressive, partisan, undemocratic, an abuse of power and office, and a breach of the plaintiffs’ right to fair hearing.
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The originating summons was brought pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 36, 40, 42, 45, 153 & 221 – 229 of the 1999 Constitution.
Joined as defendants in the suit is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the action of the defendants is unlawful, arbitrary, abuse of power and office, and a breach of the plaintiffs’ right to fair hearing guaranteed in Section 36 of the constitution.
‘’We communicated with INEC, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police as required by law. We have our evidences. We conducted our primary and it was duly recorded before the deadline for party primaries,” the plaintiffs averred.
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