A Federal High in Katsina presided over by Justice E.M Shitu Abubakar, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to open its portal to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) re-upload the names and particulars of its candidates that emerged during the primary.
The ruling party and 17 of its candidates had in an interlocutory application approached the Court claiming that they suffer incalculable damage should the electoral body shut its platform against them as it has done following the expiration of date provided in the INEC guidelines.
However, Hon Sam Onuigbo, Abia Central Senatorial Candidate claimant on the platform of the party opposed the appearance of Chief Emeka Atuma, a defendant in another suit pending before a Federal High Court in Umuahia on the list of applicants in the suit in Katsina.
Onuigbo’s application to be joined in the suit as an interested party was seriously opposed counsel to the applicant but it did not stop the Court from quietly striking out the name of Atuma from the application.
Ruling on the motion Justice Shitu Abubakar upheld that argument of the applicants that INEC relied on it guidelines to abridge the time allowed by the Electoral Act 2022, noting that “statutory provision such as Section 29 of the Electoral Act overrides any Guidelines of the Respondent”(INEC).
He therefore ordered the electoral commission to “open its electronic platform and extend the time for the 1st Applicant (APC) to re-upload the names, details and documents of its candidates who have emerged victorious from the primaries conducted by the party.”
It is further ordered that “in implementing this order the Respondent shall not compromise the 180 days period within which the 1″ Applicant should finish re-uploading the details of her candidates”
It was however gathered that INEC has taken steps to appeal the order
