From Obinna Odogwu, and Aloysius Attah, Romanus Okoye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lamented the frequency of court orders served on it by different factions and candidates of political parties who have interest in the November 6 governorship election.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, regretted that the court orders fly in from different parts of the country in a manner that could erode the powers of the commission to conduct the poll.
Okoye made the lamentation yesterday in Awka, the state capital during the implementation meeting on voter enlightenment and publicity for the election.
“The commission has variously and consistently complained about the frequency and consistency with which courts of coordinate jurisdiction from different jurisdictions all over Nigeria assumed jurisdiction and delivered judgements and issued orders with far reaching implications on the conduct of the Anambra State governorship election.
“Some of the orders have the tendency of eroding the powers of the commission and compromising its independence, powers and timelines for the conduct of the upcoming election.
“In our regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections as well as the timetable and schedule of activities, the commission issues access code to the National Chairman of political parties with which they upload the personal particulars and list of their candidates electronically.
“This obviated the demonstrations, fights and violence normally witnessed in the premises of the commission by different factions of political parties and the national and state branches of political parties.
“Unfortunately, some of the judgements and orders given especially on the primary elections in Anambra State have bypassed our portal and sought to restore the manual submission of the list and personal particulars of candidates.
“It is also becoming increasingly difficult for the commission to obey court orders and judgements that are the latest in time or the first in time as some of the political parties and the candidates have perfected the art of shopping for the first in time or the latest in time. The planning and preparation for election requires certainty and adherence to timelines”, he said.
Okoye, however, appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the judiciary to look into the matter as it was becoming unbearable for the commission.
“The leadership of the Bar Association and the Leadership of the judiciary must wade into this descent to forum shopping and the multiplicity of orders and judgements from courts of coordinate jurisdiction. This is urgent; it is imperative and cannot be carried over to the 2023 general election.
“The commission has maintained that political parties must obey and conform to their constitutions and guidelines for the conduct of party primaries as well as the provisions of section 87 of the Electoral Act.
“Political parties must extricate themselves from the web and crisis of endless litigation arising from the conduct of primaries, own their rules and also comply with the provision of the Electoral Act 2010 [as amended] in all their activities”, Okoye stated.