INEC to vacate court orders, says supplementary election will hold in Bauchi, Adamawa

Ebun Francis|

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday said the supplementary governorship election earlier scheduled to hold in Bauchi and Adamawa states will go ahead as scheduled, despite the court order suspending the process.

The litigation on the Bauchi governorship election, INEC said, was initiated by the APC and its candidate, Mohammed Abubakar while the one in Adamawa was over the missing logo of the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy.

In a message on it’s verified Twitter handle @inecnigeria, INEC said an interlocutory injunction to suspend the process has been served on the Commission by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“While the Commission has complied in accordance with its policy to obey all court orders in deference to the rule of law, it has also taken urgent steps to vacate the order and dismiss the action,” INEC said.

It noted that the litigation and consequential order only affect the collation of results for the governorship election in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.

“Consequently, the supplementary elections will proceed as scheduled on Saturday, 23 March in the other 15 Local Government Areas of Bauchi State as well as the Kirfi State Constituency Supplementary Election in Kirfi Local Government Area,” the Commission said.

In the case of Adamawa state, INEC said, the State State High Court had issued an injunction restraining the Commission from proceeding with the supplementary election following the application by the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy, a registered political party which did not take part in the main election.

It said that though the Commission had also complied with the order, it has also taken steps to vacate it and dismiss the action.

INEC said, “Notwithstanding the legal action over the Supplementary Governorship election, elections will hold in Nassarawo/Binyeri State Constituency in Mayo–Belwa Local Government Area where the election had to be countermanded following the death of a candidate before the polls, as well as the supplementary State Constituency election and Uba/Gaya State Constituency in Hong Local Government Area.”