From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised the alarm that Court orders relating to the candidates nominated by political parties for the off-cycle governorship elections in the three states of Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi, will impact on the production of sensitive materials for the poll.
The commission disclosed that it is still battling with 11 pre-election litigations in the three states, pleading for more training and collaboration with the judiciary on the commission’s processes.
Commission’s Director Legal, Drafting and Clearance, Mrs Toyin Babalola, made the disclosure on Tuesday at a just concluded Two-day training workshop for INEC Press Corps held in Akwanga, Nasarawa state.
The commission expressed concerns that particularly the judgment on PRP will necessitate the reproduction of ballot papers in Imo state since ballot papers and result sheets are customized.
It further lamented that the development is taking serious tolls on the commission’s resource since the electoral umpire has no choice than to obey the court orders.
She said: “The commission has been served with court orders of the Federal High Court in Suit Nos. FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2023 – Hon. Hassan Abdullahi v. NNPP & 2 Ors, and FHC/ABJ/CS/881/2023 – APGA & 2 Ors. V. INEC & Anor, ordering INEC to replace the NNPP governorship candidate and the APGA deputy governorship candidate for Kogi State.
“Further, on the forthcoming election, the Federal High Court, Owerri judicial division in Suit No. FHC/OW/CS/35/2023 – PRP & Anor v. INEC, amongst other orders, ordered as follows: That the name of the second Plaintiff was unlawfully excluded from the list of published candidates made on the 12th day of May 2023 on INEC website as a nominated candidate of the 1st Plaintiff for the Imo state governorship election, 2023.
“An order is hereby made directing the defendant to include the name of the second plaintiff in the list of nominated candidate published on INEC website. In another matter, the Federal High Court in Suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 –Chief Denesuoyefa Koloma v. Chief Sylva Timipre Marlin & 2 Ors., disqualified the candidate of the APC, Sylva Timipre Marlin and directed INEC to remove his name from the list of contestants into the office of governor of Bayelsa state on the platform of the APC or any other political party for the election,” the commission’s Director Legal explained.
Lamenting further in the legal challenges facing the governorship election, she said: “The commission has complied with the judgments in respect of Kogi state via the publication of Amendment No. 1 to the final list of candidates which was published on the commission’s website on September 26, 2023.
“The orders as they relate to candidates will impact on the production of Form EC8E (Declaration of result). It is worthy of note that the commission is bound to comply with decisions of Courts as stipulated in Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“The above-cited judgment on PRP will necessitate the reproduction of ballot papers in Imo State having regard to the fact that ballot papers and result sheets are customized.
“Other impacts of litigation on the preparation for Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi governorship elections include: uncertainty of candidates and parties participating in the elections.
“Colossal waste of public funds and resources. Waste of man-power. Tendency to create confusion among the media and electorates,” she lamented.
Other resource persons that presented papers during the training workshop organised by international partnership, Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) include Rotimi Oyekanmi Lawrence Oyekanmi, Lanre Arogundade, Faith Nwadishi among many others.