Deregistration: Court of Appeal begins accelerated hearing of APP’s plea

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has granted accelerated hearing in the appeal by the Action Peoples Party (APP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its deregistration.

A three-member panel led by the Acting President of the court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem on Wednesday granted APP’s application to file a reply to INEC within five days.

This is to enable an abridgment of time for the hearing which has become statute barred being valid for 60 days.

Justice Ijeoma of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on February 21, 2020 held that INEC was right to have excluded candidates of the appellant (APP) in the governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa States in 2019.

The appeal has been adjourned to April 8 for hearing.

Meanwhile, in a statement by the court’s Information Officer, Sa’adatu Musa, the Court of Appeal president directed the observance of the protocols and guidelines set by the federal government in a bid to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.