Governors of Adamawa and Cross-River states yesterday joined three others to challenge the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct governorship elections in their states before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Governors Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Liyel Imoke of Cross River joined their counterparts – Ibrahim Idris of Kogi, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, and Timiprieye Sylva of Bayelsa – who are already challenging the tenure dispute before the court in a suit seeking to stop the electoral body from conducting governorship election in their state in 2011.
Justice Adamu Bello, while consolidating the suits filed by all the governors who had their elections nullified and re-elected at one time or another, said the matter will be given accelerated hearing.
Justice Bello further gave parties in the suit 14 days within which to file and exchange briefs of argument and adjourned till November 3, 2010 for adoption of briefs of argument by parties involved in the matter.
The governors are asking the court to stop the Peoples Democratic Party PDP from conducting any primaries for the governorship elections in their states.
Governor Idris, in an originating summons, submitted that since he was elected to the office of Governor of Kogi State in a fresh election conducted by INEC and took Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on 5th April, 2008, there would be no room for election until 2012. He cited the provision of Section 180 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for four-year tenure of office for a governor from the day he took the Oath of office and Oath of Allegiance.
Idris wants the court to declare that his tenure would run until April 5, 2012 and that INEC was incompetent to abridge his four year tenure by conducting any election into the office while his tenure subsists.
No comments:
Post a Comment