The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has for the umpteenth time expressed concerns over the growing court cases against the commission in relation to pre-election matters from political parties.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the INEC was served 70 court processes in one day by one political party.
At an interactive session with the media in Lagos, Yakubu said INEC is the most litigated agency of government, adding that there are no fewer than 700 pre-election matters hanging on the neck of the commission.
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He however assured that the Commission as a creation of the law would continue to comply with court orders as they are brought to the notice of INEC in relation to nomination of candidates by political parties.
Asked specifically on the case involving Tonye Cole who was sacked as the APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, he said while the candidate may have appealed the ruling as it is within his right, the commission would continually update its candidates’ list as the court orders emerge.
“What we have been doing as as matter of policy is that once there is a valid judgement that we shouldn’t publish the name of this person or that person as a candidate, we comply and there is always a column where we say court order and sometimes after a few months another court will reverse that judgement, we would put the name of that candidate again and say court order and we have been doing so.
“So there’s going to be an update by the commission on the number of candidates whose names are supposed to be dropped by court order and we will do so in no distant time.
“But there are so many of them. In one day, we were served 70 court processes by one political party alone on nomination of candidates. I am sure now we have well over 700 court cases arising from the conduct of party primaries. We hear this every day, people go to court and they join INEC…”
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