The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has conditioned its conduct of the March 23 supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State on what the court will decide regarding it on Thursday, March 21.
INEC gave this indication in Yola Wednesday while promising to abide by the ruling of the Adamawa State high court expected on Thursday, March 21.
The court had last week granted an injunction stopping the supplementary election, but fixed Thursday March 21 for hearing of motion for the interlocutory injunction,
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Kassim Gaidam, said at a press briefing Thursday afternoon that although INEC had made preparation for the supplementary governorship election, the conduct of it would depend on the outcome of the court process on Thursday.
“We will respect the ruling of the court on the supplementary election,” he said.
He assured, however, that the commission had assembled a team of lawyers headed by a senior advocate of Nigeria to push the position of the commission on the subject of the case.
The position ofINEC since the court first granted an injunction stopping processes to the supplementary election had been that it would not be bound by a court order from conducting the election.
The Yola High Court on March 14 restrained INEC from conducting the March 23 supplementary governorship election in Adamawa following a request to that effect filed by counsel to the Adamawa Chapter of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Mustafa Shaba, over absence of the party logo on the ballot paper of the inconclusive election. Delivering his ruling at the time, Justice Waziri held that the request had merit, saying, “The defendant herein, INEC, is restrained … from proceeding with the supplementary election in respect of Adamawa State Governorship pending the hearing and determination.”
The appropriateness of the court process and the jurisdiction of the state high court over the case are some of the issues expected to be treated in the court process slated for Thursday.
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