Enugu LGA Polls: APC Drags INEC, ENSIEC to Court

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State, Nigeria 2015 Election Monday, October 30th, 2017

From Ignatius Okpara

ENUGU NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Barely a week to the forthcoming Enugu State local government election, the opposition All Progressives Congress APC, has filed charges against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Enugu State Independent National Electoral Commission ENSIEC, over the poll.

The controversial election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 4, 2017.

AFRICAN EXAMINER reports that the suit which was filed Friday at the Federal High court sitting in Enugu, has the state Chairman of APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, Okoye Hillary Monday and Philip Ogechukwu Eze as plaintiffs on behalf of other candidates; while the ENSIEC and INEC, are joined as 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively.

In a motion on notice brought pursuant to Order 26, 28 of the Federal High Court Rules, 2009, the party is seeking “an order mandating the first respondent to publish the list of names of the 260 candidates for councilor-ship positions of various wards and 17 candidates for local government Chairmen submitted to them by the applicants as their validly nominated candidates to contest for the November 2017 Local Government/councillorship election pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The party is equally asking for “an order restraining the 2nd respondent from releasing the voters’ registers of Enugu State to the 1st respondent for the purpose of conducting and organizing the chairmanship and councilorship elections in the local government areas of Enugu State until the names of the candidates presented by the applicants are included and published as candidates for the various area councils/wards they represent, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

“An order restraining the 1st respondent from conducting the local government chairmanship/councilorship elections without including and publishing the names of candidates submitted by the applicant to contest, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

The plaintiffs claimed that according to the law, they “submitted to the 1st respondent the list of her qualified and nominated candidates for the November 4th local government election in Enugu State as the umpire in the election.

“The first defendant without any powers under any known law verified, screened and purportedly disqualified candidates of the plaintiff without any reason.

“The first defendant without any reason failed and/or neglected to publish the voters’ register of voters in Enugu State 30 days before the election as required by the law.”