INEC says no court can stop it from conducting election
- The Independent National Electoral Commission says the law does not empower courts to stop the commission from conducting elections
- The Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Kassim Gaidam, says section 87 sub section 10 of the Electoral Act notes that courts lack the power to stop INEC from holding primaries or general elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that no court has the power to restrain the commission from conducting the governorship supplementary election in Adamawa state scheduled to hold on March 23.
The Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Kassim Gaidam, said the law does not empower courts to stop it from carrying out its election duties, Daily Trust reports.
He made the statement on Thursday, March 14, when reacting to a court judgment by Justice Abdulazeez Waziri ordering INEC to desist from conducting the election in 44 polling units where election was cancelled during the governorship election held on 9th March.
“Though we are not aware of any court restricting INEC, however let me tell you that court order will not stop any election,” Gaidam said.
Citing Section 87 sub (10), of the Electoral Act, the INEC official said: "Nothing in this section shall empower the courts to stop the holding of primaries or general election or the processes thereof under this Act pending the determination of a suit.”
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In another report, the Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement (AILM) has urged the Police Service Commission (PSC) to open investigation into the activities of policemen in the state who took part in the just concluded elections and called for the immediate redeployment of the police commissioner, CP Kaoje Ibrahim.
The group accused the CP of compromising police affairs and structures in the state with a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Udom Ekpudom, and junior officers close to Senator Godswill Akpabio during the just concluded elections in the state.
In an open letter to the PSC signed by its leader, Prince Emmanuel Sam, AILM accused CP Ibrahim of partiality, incompetence, ineptitude and partisanship