By Precious Akutamadu, Emmanuel Okara
Port Harcourt, Lagos, Nov. 15, 2019
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, on Friday granted an exparte order of injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from disqualifying the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Bayelsa elections.
The three-member Appeal Court panel led by Justice Lokulo-Sodipi also restrained the INEC from executing the orders of the Federal High Court to remove the name and logo of the APC and its governorship candidate, David Lyon, from the governorship race.
This is as the Ijaw Elders Forum, Lagos, in collaboration with Ijaw Professionals Association, Ijaw Nations Forum, Ijaw Women Connect and Embassara Foundation, called on the people of Bayelsa to exercise their civic responsibility by voting the next governor of the state through a peaceful and credible process on Saturday.
The groups in a joint statement by Mr Efiye Bribena, expressed alarm at the turn of event in Bayelsa.
“We are alarmed at the recent turn of events on Wednesday Nov. 13 at Ogbolomabiri, in spite of the numerous workshops we organised on Peaceful and Credible Elections and affirmations by major political stakeholders.
“We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend elections in any ward where political violence occurs in the days leading to the elections or threatens the peace during elections.
“We wish to also call on INEC to reject results from any ward or local government areas with reported cases of violence, ballot box snatching or rigging,” Bribena said.
“Accepting results and declaring same from wards where violence or other election malpractices are perpetuated will be tantamount to incentivising violence and malpractices during elections.
“We will like to use this opportunity to draw the attention of The Nigerian Human Rights Commission and other relevant institutions of the state to the violence that occurred in Ogbolomabiri.
“The incident should be investigated and the perpetrators and their sponsors brought to book.
“We call on INEC and all relevant institutions of the state to maintain neutrality during the elections and ensure peaceful and credible elections as the people of Bayelsa troop out on Saturday to elect their Governor.
Justice Lokulo-Sodipi, in the Appeal Court ruling, held that the panel abides by the decision made by the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which compelled INEC to maintain status quo from September 18, 2019, when the matter was instituted, pending the determination of motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The Appeal panel, thereafter, ordered that applicants should serve all the respondents notices and other processes before adjourning till November 21, for mention.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the proceedings, counsel for the governorship candidate of APC, Michael Numa, welcomed the decision of the Appeal Court, which, he said, has given the APC and its governorship candidate, the opportunity to participate in the Bayelsa State governorship poll.
Similarly, counsel for APC, Sydney Igbanichuka said that the position of the Court of Appeal would give opportunity to correct every wrong in the decision of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, the state capital.
