Court orders INEC to publish Abdullahi’s name as NNPP guber candidate in Kogi

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of Mr. Hassan Abdullahi as the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP)’s bonafide candidate for the Kogi governorship election.

Justice Omotosho, who gave the order while ruling in a motion filed by Abdullahi, said the petitioner’s name should be uploaded on the commission’s portal having scored the highest lawful votes in the April 16 primary poll conducted by the party.

He held that the substitution of Abdullahi’s name with that of one Musa Mubarak contravened Sections 84(1) and 84(5)(b) (I) and (ii) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Article 34 of the Constitution of NNPP.

He stressed that any other primary election conducted outside the April 16 poll was unlawful and unconstitutional.

READ ALSO: INEC to publish names of Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo governorship candidates Friday

Abdullahi had in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2023, filed by his lawyer, Mustapha Ibrahim (SAN), sought an order mandating the NNPP to withdraw Mubarak’s name and resubmit his name to INEC as its governorship candidate in the November 11 election in the state.

He also sought an order compelling INEC to remove Mubarak’s name as NNPP’s candidate from its portal and restore his name as the valid candidate of the party.

The party, INEC, and Mubarak were listed as respondents in the suit.

The judge granted all the reliefs sought and declared Abdullahi as the NNPP authentic governorship candidate in the state.

 

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now