#ElectionBuzzNig’23
A Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria has ordered that the current executive officers of the Allied People’s Movement Party to vacate their seats.
Justice Donatus Okorowo gave the order while giving a judgment on a case filed by Imuseh Ome Ebere and Kukan Ken Barine, challenging the continuous stay in office of the Executives of the Allied People’s Movement without organizing a convention for new party leadership.
The plaintiffs are challenging Allied People’s Movement, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the party, the National Chairman of the Party, and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants in the matter.
Justice Donatus Okorowo declared that “the continues retention of all the executive officers of the first defendants as appointed officers without being duly elected in accordance with the party’s constitution is ultra vires, unconstitutional, illegal and a direct affront to electoral Act.”
The judge declared the office of the Allied People’s Movement vacant by the operation of the law and its occupants, illegal.
The court ordered the Registered Trustees of the first defendant to manage the affairs of the first defendant for three months within which they must conduct ward, local government, state, and national congresses for a new leadership of the party.
After listening to arguments from both Counsels, Justice Okorowo directed the fourth defendant (INEC) to monitor and supervise all the congresses of the first defendant to be organized by the Registered Trustees of the first defendant.
The court also directed, the Registered Trustees of the first defendant to give the INEC at least 21 days’ notice of the conduct of the convention.
The prosecution counsel Mr. Enyinnaya Eme expressed satisfaction with the judgment, describing it as “sound” in law.
Emmanuel Ukoh
