Lawyer asks court to stop Adamawa Election. Why?

 

A Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has filed a motion asking a Federal High Court in Lagos to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting the October 11 governorship by-election in Adamawa State.

The lawyer wants the court to stop the conduct of the election pending the hearing and determination of a suit which he filed to challenge the propriety of the impeachment of former Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako.

The lawyer has also petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, asking that the matter be re-assigned to another judge other than Justice Okon Abang, who hitherto handled it.

Justice Abang had earlier entertained arguments in the matter and fixed September 30, 2014 for judgment.

But on the judgment date, the judge elected to hear an application filed by the Acting Governor of the State, Umaru Fintiri seeking to set aside proceedings in the suit so far on the ground of lack of proper service.

Justice Abang had specifically fixed October 16 for hearing of the application.

But irked by the development, Ogungbeje said he had lost confidence in the ability of Justice Abang to dispense justice in the matter.

The lawyer was particularly furious with the judge for adjourning the matter till after the by-election, a development which he claimed would only make the suit in court an academic exercise if allowed to stand, as election must have been conducted on October 11.

In the substantive suit, Ogungbeje was challenging the legality of Nyako’s impeachment on July 15, 2014.