The absence of a Judge stalled the suit on Continuous Voters Registration scheduled to hold today which was filed by Peter Obi Support Network (POSN).
The matter which had scheduled today was adjourned to October 2022, seeks among other prayers, to compel INEC to continue the voter registration exercise till at least November 2022.
The reason for the judge absence was not disclosed by Court Official, but the 1st, 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs were in court today to argue their case before the Court
It could be recalled that at the last sitting on 20th September 2022 the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to file response to the suit filed by members of Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) over the stoppage of Voter Registration ahead of the 2023 General Elections.
The plaintiffs in the suit had rejected decision to voter Registration until at least 90 days to the 2023 general election.
However, the Electoral body pleaded with Court till 23rd September 2022 to file response to the case filed by the plaintiff. The Court therefore granted the request of INEC to fill their response and adjourned till October 4, 2022.
The case was filled by the group on August 4th, 2022, and this correspondent learnt that INEC has filed their response on 23rd September, 2022.
The Plaintiffs had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission to a Federal High Court in Abuja following its decision to stop the Continuous Voter Registration until at least 90 days to the 2023 general election.
The plaintiff in the suit with No FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022 filed on its behalf by a law firm, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu (SAN) & Co., argued that the abrupt termination of the voter registration exercise would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters during the 2023 presidential election.
The suit seeks, among other things, an order compelling INEC to reverse its earlier directive halting the CVR exercise across the country on July 31, 2022, and to declare as ultra vires the commission’s decision to put a timeline on the CVR exercise outside the timeline provided by the 2022 Electoral Act, as amended.
The Plaintiffs raised the following issues for determination:
“Whether having regards to the combined provisions of Sections 76(2), 77(2), 116(2), 117(2), 132(2) & (5) and 178 (2) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) as well as Sections 9(1), 9 (6), 10(1) and 12(1) of the Electoral Acts, 2022, the Defendant can or has the right or latitude to stop the continuous voter registration on 31st July, 2022, about over Seven and Half (71/2) months (208 days), or any other day not until ninety (90) days before the General Elections when there are millions of prospective voters including the Plaintiffs who have not Registered and are willing to do so.”
