N’Assembly drags election re-ordering matter to Appeal Court

Apparently not done with its move to ensure that elections are re-ordered, the National Assembly has approached the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja to challenge the ruling of a Federal High Court on the issue.

The lawmakers had in the election amendment bill which President Muhammadu Buhari denied giving assent to, called for the re-ordering of the time table for the election as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They had also threatened to override the decision of the President.
But in its ruling, sequel to a suit filed by Accord Party through Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN),an Abuja division of the Federal High Court held that the lawmakers had no such power to re-order the proposed sequence for the 2019 general elections.
The court presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, had insisted in his ruling that INEC was the only body constitutionally empowered to organise, undertake and supervise elections in the country, saying that such responsibility included fixing dates for polls.

In the suit by Accord Party against National Assembly, Attorney-General of the Federation, and INEC, the party had prayed among other things “a declaration that the third defendant is the only body and or institution constitutionally vested with the powers, vires and duties to organise, undertake and supervise elections to the offices of the President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the governor and deputy governor of a state, membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly of each state of the federation, including fixing or assigning dates of the said elections and sequence of same.”

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These prayers were all granted as sought by the Accord Party by Justice Mohammed.

However, not satisfied with the ruling of the lower court, the National Assembly has gone to the appellate court, praying it to dismiss the claims of the plaintiff in its entirety.

 

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