PARTY SUES INEC OVER OMISSION OF CANDIDATES' NAME ON REGISTER

The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), today dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over alleged failure to include its candidates' name on the register for the forthcoming general elections.

Specifically, the 16 candidates headed to a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos
with an ex parte application praying the court to compel the electoral commission
to immediately enter and publish their names on its list as candidates contesting the March 28 and April 11 polls.

The first Applicant in the suit includes one Helen Godswill, who is suing on the strength of the presidential flag bearer of the party.

Other applicants seeking positions in various states Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly, includes: Adewale Arogundade, Ganiyat Folawewo, Taofeek Adeniyi, Augustine Omilabu, Henry Abimbola, Olufemi Gregory, Towobola Adebowale, Eberechukwu Orehewere, Ekeata Onwordi, Chukwuma Egbukichi, Samuel Ajaka, Ganiyat Agboola, Ramota Raji, Ramon Ajanosi and Hakeem Olaribigbe.

According to an affidavit in support of the suit which is deposed to by
the first applicant, Helen, argued that despite the fact that INEC monitored the party’s primary where the candidates were elected as the party’s candidates for various elective positions in the forthcoming elections, INEC, failed to publish their names.

In moving the application before Justice Okon Abang, counsel to the party, Akinwale Ekunusi prayed the court urged to compel INEC to do the needful by recognising the candidates and publishing their names accordingly.

The lawyer further argued that UPN had already submitted the names of the applicants to INEC alongside their credentials.

He posited that out of all the names the party submitted to INEC, only that of the Ogun State governorship candidate of the party was published, a development which he said necessitated the legal action after several attempts to make INEC publish names of the others had failed.

However in a short ruling, Justice Abang refused to grant the ex parte application, with a further position that it would be unfair to grant such an order without giving INEC the benefit of fair hearing.

The judge said, "I have gone through the process filed by the applicants. If indeed INEC was furnished with the applicants’ name and yet the commission did not enlist their names for the general elections, then it is proper for rule of fair hearing to allow INEC to come and explain why the names of the applicants were not listed as alleged."

Photo credit: Newswatch Times