Following the suit filed by some candidates of the Unity Party of Nigeria, protesting their non-inclusion in INEC’s register for the forthcoming elections, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to respond to the suit appropriately.
DAILY POST recalls that the 16 candidates of the party had on Friday last week protested to justice Okon Abang with an ex parte application requesting that INEC immediately enter and publish their names on its list as candidates that will be contesting in the March 28 and April 11 elections.
The judge, after an overview refused to grant their application and consequently changed it to a motion on notice and ordered service on INEC before March 9, 2015.
However, during the Thursday hearing, counsel for INEC, Jesinta Kelechukwu, stated that the commission had not filed any response yet. Her reason was simply that the motion on notice had not been served INEC.
Contrary to her claim, the applicants’ counsel, Effiong Bassey, argued that the originating summons had since been served on INEC.
After a close examination, Abang in a brief ruling, requested INEC to respond to the suit before March 17, to pave way for hearing of the matter.
The applicants, through one Helen Godswill, being the presidential flag bearer of UPN, had sued INEC for failing to include their names as candidates.
The aggrieved applicants who are seeking positions in various states Houses of Assembly and the Nation Assembly, are Helen Godwill, Adewale Arogundade, Ganiyat Folawewo, Taofeek Adeniyi, Augustine Omilabu, Henry Abimbola, Olufemi Gregory, Towobola Adebowale, Eberechukwu Orehewere and Ekeata Onwordi.
Others are Chukwuma Egbukichi, Samuel Ajaka, Ganiyat Agboola, Ramota Raji, Ramon Ajanosi and Hakeem Olaribigbe.
The applicants are accusing INEC of failing to publish their names as candidates running for various positions even when the Commission supervised the party’s primaries.
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