JUST IN: Court Stops INEC From Announcing Rivers Governorship Election Result

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt the collation and
announcement of the result of the governorship and house of
assembly elections in Rivers State held on March 9, 2019.

The commission had rescheduled the collation of the results that
had been previously suspended for Wednesday, after it was alleged
that the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate was leading in the
results so far declared at the various collations centres.

There was a disruption of the collation process at some
collation centres which led to the suspension the electoral
process.

However, after the report by a fact-finding committee set up to
investigate electoral irregularities that characterised the poll,
INEC scheduled the continuation of the process for Wednesday, March
20, 2019.

However, Justice Iyang Ewa has ordered the commission to halt
its scheduled resumption of the announcement of the result, based
on an ex parte application filed by the AAC candidates.

The applicant prayed the court for an order of interim
injunction restraining INEC from resuming, collating or announcing
the results of the suspended elections in Rivers State.

Justice Ewa ordered INEC to appear before the court on Friday
for the hearing of the suit filed against it by AAC and its
candidate in the election.

He also affirmed that the court would give its final order after
it concludes the suits brought before it by the plaintiffs.

INEC, represented by Ransome Uwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria
(SAN), approached the court with a motion challenging its
jurisdiction.

Mohammed Abali, counsel to the plaintiffs, however, objected to
the application of INEC, informing the court that the order issued
on Monday asking the electoral body to show cause why the requests
of the plaintiffs should not be granted had not been obeyed.

The judge ordered the electoral umpire to halt the proceedings
till the court gives the final order.