A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Monday, dismissed a suit seeking to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from collating, concluding and making declaration in the March 9, governorship election conducted in Bauchi State.
Justice Iyang Ekwo, while dismissing the suit, vacated the order of status quo maintenance issued by the court on March 19, which stopped INEC from proceeding with the result collation.
Delivering judgment in the suit, filed by All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, Ekwo held that his court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit on account of being a post-election matter.
The judge upheld the objection of INEC argued by its counsel, Tanimu Inuwa, that the court under the law has no power to determine a post-election suit.
The two plaintiffs – APC, and the governor had approached the court on March 18, praying it to stop INEC from collating, concluding and declaring the Bauchi state governorship election but the court going through the fireworks and gamut of the case, declined jurisdiction and ordered INEC to perform its statutory functions.
