The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Tuesday has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from collating the figures of the March 9 governorship election in Bauchi State’s Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area until Wednesday.
The judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to appear before the court on Wednesday to hear the main lawsuit filed by the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate.
The court will also hear the preliminary objection notice from INEC on Wednesday challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
Earlier on Monday, Justice Ekwo had summoned the commission to appear before it on Tuesday to explain why it was not appropriate to grant an ex parte application by the plaintiffs seeking to halt the collation of the results of the governorship election in the Bauchi State Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.
Although INEC, through its lawyer, Mr. Taminu Inuwa (SAN), appeared in court in response to Monday’s summons on Tuesday, the judge re-adjourned until Wednesday, noting that the commission only responded to the main suit rather than showing cause to persuade the court not to grant the prayer of the plaintiffs to stop the ex parte prayers of the plaintiffs.
Inuwa also said the commission was challenging the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction to hear the plaintiff’s case, but Justice Ekwo said that the jurisdiction of the court could not be challenged orally but only through a written request.
In the Tuesday proceedings, the judge ordered the parties to “maintain the res”, which literally means that none of the party should not take action that could affect the subject matter in the suit.
