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Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered accelarated hearing in the appeal filed by the Action Peoples Party (APP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the exclusion of it’s candidates from participating in the 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa and Kogi States.
A three-man member panel of the appellate court headed by its Acting President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, specifically granted the motion for abridgment of time filed and argued by the party.
The said motion was filed on March 30, wherein the appellant sought for the abridgment of time by directing INEC to respond to it’s appeal within five days. The party argued that out of the statutory 60 days stipulated for the hearing of the appeal, 30 days have already been spent.
Counsel to the APP, Mr. Obed Agu, added that if the motion for abridgment of time is not granted, it will rob the court of it’s jurisdiction to hear the appeal as it would become statute barred.
Ruling on the motion, the Acting President of the court, Justice Dongban-Mensem, who was sitting for the first time after her swearing-in on March 6, granted the request.
