A Makurdi High Court on Monday restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressive Congress from substituting the name of Agada Austin as the APC candidate for Ogbadibo State Constituency election.
Justice Elizabeth Kpojime, while ruling on a motion on notice brought by Agada, particularly warned the duo against substituting Agada’s name with Mr. John Ali, his opponent in the fight for the ticket.
Other defendants in the case included the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Audu Ogbe and Ali.
Agada, in the motion, prayed the court to restrain the defendants from substituting his name and publishing the name of the fourth defendant (Ali) as the APC candidate for Ogbadibo State Constituency race.
Attached as exhibit to the supporting affidavit to the motion was the result sheet of the primary election conducted by APC on October 27, 2018 where the appellant was declared winner.
In the supporting affidavit, Agada deposed that the defendants were making attempts to substitute his name with that of Ali and publish Ali’s name as the winner of the said primary election.
After listening to the argument by counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. M.S. Agaku, the presiding judge restrained the respondents from substituting the name of the plaintiff as the APC flag bearer for the Ogbadibo State Constituency.
“This order is necessary in the interest of justice; the status quo must be maintained pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed by the applicant,” she stated.
She, therefore, fixed January 22, 2019 for hearing of the motion on notice.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that eight aspirants contested for the ticket in the primary elections that produced Agada as the winner.
Comments