Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt the collation and announcement of the
result of the governorship and house of assembly elections in Rivers State
held on March 9, 2019.
The commission had rescheduled the collation of the results that had been
previously suspended for Wednesday, after it was alleged that the African
Action Congress (AAC) candidate was leading in the results so far declared
at the various collations centres.
There was a disruption of the collation process at some collation centres
which led to the suspension the electoral process.
However, after the report by a fact-finding committee set up to
investigate electoral irregularities that characterised the poll, INEC
scheduled the continuation of the process for Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
However, Justice Iyang Ewa has ordered the commission to halt its
scheduled resumption of the announcement of the result, based on an ex
parte application filed by the AAC candidates.
The applicant prayed the court for an order of interim injunction
restraining INEC from resuming, collating or announcing the results of the
suspended elections in Rivers State.
Justice Ewa ordered INEC to appear before the court on Friday for the
hearing of the suit filed against it by AAC and its candidate in the
election.
He also affirmed that the court would give its final order after it
concludes the suits brought before it by the plaintiffs.
INEC, represented by Ransome Uwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),
approached the court with a motion challenging its jurisdiction.
Mohammed Abali, counsel to the plaintiffs, however, objected to the
application of INEC, informing the court that the order issued on Monday
asking the electoral body to show cause why the requests of the plaintiffs
should not be granted had not been obeyed.
The judge ordered the electoral umpire to halt the proceedings till the
court gives the final order.