Anthony Iwuoma
A Federal High Court, sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, has nullified the recently held local government elections in the state.
The presiding judge, Justice Fatun Riman nullified the electoral exercise over its illegal processes, following a suit No:FHC/AI/CS/151/2022.
The three plaintiffs, Otu Collins Eleri, Nelson Eze, Akaa Ikechukwu, Micheal Ali and Isu Amaechi had dragged the Ebonyi State Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, INEC and the state government to court for failing to allow all aspirants a level-playing ground during the election.
The counsel to IPAC, Mudi Ehrenede, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the court processes, explained that the state government denied his clients the privilege of having the law in which the elections was conducted.
”It is undemocratic and unlawful to conduct an election into the local government areas or council without availing the plaintiffs with the exact law that is meant to regulate the exercise,” he said.
“There are a lot of other issues with not compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
“The Electoral Act 2022 said the procedures for conducting elections into the local government areas by state commissioners must comply with that procedure for conducting elections into area councils in the FCT.
“If you look at it, how do you access compliance without law if you hide the law with which you want to conduct the election? Is it not when you make the law public that we will know whether you complied with it or not? How can you be making laws and hiding them?
“My position now that my clients demanded to be availed of this law.”
The presiding judge, Justice Fatun Riman nullified the electoral exercise over its illegal processes, following a suit No:FHC/AI/CS/151/2022.
The three plaintiffs, Otu Collins Eleri, Nelson Eze, Akaa Ikechukwu, Micheal Ali and Isu Amaechi had dragged the Ebonyi State Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, INEC and the state government to court for failing to allow all aspirants a level-playing ground during the election.
The counsel to IPAC, Mudi Ehrenede, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the court processes, explained that the state government denied his clients the privilege of having the law in which the elections was conducted.
”It is undemocratic and unlawful to conduct an election into the local government areas or council without availing the plaintiffs with the exact law that is meant to regulate the exercise,” he said.
“There are a lot of other issues with not compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
“The Electoral Act 2022 said the procedures for conducting elections into the local government areas by state commissioners must comply with that procedure for conducting elections into area councils in the FCT.
“If you look at it, how do you access compliance without law if you hide the law with which you want to conduct the election? Is it not when you make the law public that we will know whether you complied with it or not? How can you be making laws and hiding them?
“My position now that my clients demanded to be availed of this law.”