- Court order is suspect and meaningless – APC
The Ruling in a suit brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers State.
National Network reported that the Federal High Court presided over by Justice A. M. Liman has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from declaring the result for the suspended re-run election in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State also restrained INEC from announcing any results in the Local Government Area of the State which election was subsequently suspended by INEC.
He further restrained INEC from announcing any results or figures howsoever generated or compiled purporting to be result of the re-run election for any or all of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Eleme and Tai Local Government Areas of Rivers State or any part of the re-run election scheduled for March 19, 2016 which election was subsequently suspended or postponed.
Consequently, the ruling has been commended by the PDP, stressing that despite certain cases of misgivings orchestrated by some anti-democratic elements posing as politicians against our judicial system by trying to corrupt some of our eminent and respected jurists, the Nigerian Judiciary still remains the best bet to safeguard the nation’s democracy.
The chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the PDP, Bro Felix Obuah stated this while reacting to the ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from declaring the result for the suspended March 19, 2016 re-run election in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
The State PDP chairman said the order of the Court presided over by Honourable Justice A. M. Liman further restraining INEC from announcing any results or figures however generated or compiled purporting to be the result of the re-run election for any or all of Khana, Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Eleme and Tai Local Government Area of the State or any part of the re-run election scheduled for March 19 which election was suspended or postponed is most welcome and shows that Nigeria’s democracy is on course with the like of respectable and fearless jurist, Honourable Justice Liman of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt.
But for the rare species of judicial officers of the calibre of Honourable Justice A. M. Liman, Bro Obuah noted, both the judiciary, the third arm of government and the fundamental rights of Nigerians would have been messed up and consigned into the trash tray of political history by notable political desperadoes that have taken the centre stage of the nation’s politics.
“It’s for this reason that we thank God for the judiciary and still keep hope alive that our democracy must survive despite attempts to muzzle it. We also hope that INEC will conscientiously respect the Court order and act as an unbiased umpire it ought to be”, the State PDP boss declared.
It would be recalled that the PDP had headed for the court in suit No.PHC/CS/523/2016 prompted by what it called secret moves by INEC to have the suspended re-run election in Tai LGA reviewed by a committee which it believed was not in good faith, demanding that it (INEC) be restrained from going ahead with the alleged plot.
Meanwhile the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), reacted to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) purported court order against the release of Tai rerun election results by INEC is that it is not of any consequence if any person or political party decides to embark on an ego trip using the courts.
In any case, the Electoral Act 2010, Section 133 sub 1 forbids any courts from questioning INEC in any manner other than by petition complaining of an undue election or undue return presented to competent tribunal or court. Definitely, the Federal High Court the PDP purportedly obtained its order does not qualify to issue such an order on INEC. It is indeed a meaningless court order as far as the APC is concerned.
The APC cannot be distracted by the antics of the PDP as we prepare for the conclusion of the remaining rerun elections as will be announced by the INEC.
