Appeal Court okays PDP, LP requests to interrogate INEC over presidential poll

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday granted orders to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) to interrogate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the conduct of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The grant of the orders followed separate ex-parte applications by the two parties before the court.

Justice Joseph Ikwegh endorsed the request after listening to Adedamola Faloku who stood in for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

In the same vein, Justice Ikwegh gave the go-ahead to Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi on similar grounds.

Alex Ejeseme, SAN, argued the ex-parte application for LP and Obi.

Counsel to Atiku and PDP had prayed the court to grant the ex-parte application brought pursuant to Section 146 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022, Paragraph 47 (1, 2 and 3) of the first schedule of the Electoral Act of 2022 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court as referenced by Section 6 (6) A and B of the 1999 Constitution.

The application sought seven prayers predicated on six grounds.

The counsel also informed the court that a schedule of the documents to interrogate the respondent (INEC) was also contained in the application which is an 18-paragraph application supported by a 12-paragraph affidavit.

Counsel to the applicant thereafter adopted all the averments contained in the affidavit and urged the court to grant the application.

Presiding Justice Joseph Ikyegh granted the application of the applicant.

The court also heard the ex-parte application brought before it by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi urging the court to grant the application for hearing.

Counsel to Peter Obi, Alex Ejeseme, SAN, had brought before the court an ex-parte application pursuant to Section 86 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 146 of the Electoral Act 2022 and paragraphs 47 (1 and 54) of the first schedule of the Electoral Act 2022 under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

The application brought before the court by Obi prayed for six reliefs on six grounds in support of the application.

Ejeseme also informed the court that they had deposed to a 15-paragraph affidavit and that they relied on all the averments in their application in urging the court to grant the application