Court stops INEC from naming Ondo PDP candidates

(NIGERIA) Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) from publishing names of nominees of the Peoples Democratic Party for National and State Assembly elections in Ondo State.

In a ruling yesterday, the court gave the order after listening to contempt proceedings initiated against the electoral body by the Olu Ogunye-led executive and some aspirants to the House of Representatives.

The contempt proceedings against INEC and the national PDP, its national Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Mu’azu and the National Secretary, Prof. Wole Oladipo, emanated from an order of the court directing them to relate with the Ondo State PDP executive headed by Dr. Olu Ogunye in respect of the conduct of primaries and election.

Justice Mohammed held that “none of the parties should do anything that would render the subject matter of the suit a nugatory till Tuesday January 6, 2015.”

The court, however, declined to pronounce on the contempt in view of the fact that there are divergent interpretations on the order issued by Justice Ademola by both counsel.

Justice Mohammed said in view of the urgency of the matter and the time limit for submission of candidate list, there is need to preserve the subject matter of the suit.

However, instead of complying with the said order of Justice Adeniyi Ademola, the alleged contemptors received two lists of nominees from the PDP national body and the plaintiffs.

Moving the application for contempt on behalf of the plaintiffs, Prince Ajibola Oluyede insisted that INEC violated the order of the court made on December 18, 2014.

But INEC lawyer, Ibrahim Bawa, argued that the Commission was not in contempt of any order of court as there was no express order stopping INEC from receiving nomination list from the PDP national body.

In addition, he posited that the electoral body acted in accordance with the provisions of section 31 of the Electoral Act 2010.

“We are only guided by the position of the law that we should receive nomination list of candidates from the national headquarters of political parties”, he said.

-NEWSWATCH TIMES-