Court Upholds INEC’s Rejection of AA’s Candidates in Kogi, Bayelsa Governorship Polls

Alex Enumah

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, yesterday upheld the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which rejected the participation of candidates of the Action Alliance (AA) in the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

The party and its governorship candidates in the two states are challenging their exclusion from the November 16 gubernatorial election.

INEC had refused to accept the candidacy of Dr. Samuel Alfa and Ebi Peretiemo as flag bearers of the AA in the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa States, respectively on the grounds that their nomination forms were submitted outside the time required by law.

However, delivering judgment in the suit jointly filed by Alfa and Peretiemo, Justice Ekwo held that the plaintiffs failed to provide evidence that they were on the premises of INEC or attempted to submit their forms before 6p.m. on September 9, 2019, in line with INEC’s guidelines for the elections.

“The first plaintiff (AA) having not complied with the guidelines and regulations of INEC that it must submit its candidates’ nomination forms on or before 6pm on September 9, 2019 is ineligible to field candidates in the November 2019 governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa states”, Justice Ekwo held.

He subsequently dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.

The suit dated September 19 was filed same day by counsel to the plaintiffs, Malachy Nwaekpe.

In the joint suit marked, FHC/ ABJ/CS/1100/19, AA, Alfa and Peretiemo had contended that having complied with the provisions of 85(1) to (2) and section 31(1) of the Electoral Act, INEC could not have validly rejected the nomination of their candidates for the forthcoming elections in the two states.