The suit instituted by about 61 political parties that form the Inter-Party Advisory Committee against the Independent National Electoral Commission over the guidelines for the 2019 general elections is slated for hearing on Tuesday.
IPAC’s spokesman who is also the National Chairman of Action Peoples Party, Imo Ugochinyere, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday.
Ugochinyere said the suit to protest the insistence of the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to go ahead with the controversial document was filed on Monday at the Federal High Court Abuja.
He said, “The suit which has an ex parte application is expected to be heard tomorrow (Tuesday) and is seeking for an injunction stopping INEC from giving further effect to the controversial document called 2019 election guideline which has contents which are in conflict with the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act.
“Of particular interests are the clauses that allowed fake voters to vote in the 2019 general elections and the provisions doctoring the 2011 and 2015 separate accreditation and separate voting system.
“The INEC chairman is trying to change this few days to the national election in violation of all known laws and regulations including the ECOWAS Protocol which has been domesticated in Nigeria.
“The suit which was filed today (Monday) with suit number FHC/ABJ/C5/31/2019 by the Chairman of Action People Party (Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere), Action Alliance Party, Green Party of Nigeria and Restoration Party of Nigeria for others is seen as the last hope for Nigerian electorate who are desirous of having free and fair elections.
“Credible elections start with having a guideline which promotes atmosphere and foundation for free polls and not the controversial guideline which is now seen by many as rigging manual drafted in Aso Rock and handed over to Amina Zakari to foist on political parties and Nigerian electorate.”
PUNCH
