The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has summoned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of Rivers State, to appear before it today, Wednesday, March 8, 2023, to prove why the Governorship and National Assembly elections should not be postponed in Rivers State.
The presiding judge, Hon. Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed gave the directive yesterday when the suit, which was brought by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and it’s governorship candidate, Chief Tonte Ibraye.
The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/246/2023, was filed at the Federal High Court on February 22, 2023, but was transferred to Federal High Court, Port Harcourt based on the directives of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Tsoho.
Joined in the suit are the Governor of Rivers State and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The ADC and Ibraye had approached the Court seeking for an interim injunction to the postpone the March 11, 2023 elections in the state.
The applicants also sought for an interim injunction stopping the implementation of the Executive Orders 21 and 22, which were assented to by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
It reads in part: “An Order of interim injunction restraining the first defendant by itself, it’s representatives, agents, privies, and/or anybody acting through it from implementation and enforcement of the Executive Order 21 2022 issued on 4th October, 2022 and Executive Order 22 2022, issued on 11th November, 2022, by the first defendant pending the determination of the motion on notice before this Honourable Court.
“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 4th defendant by itself, it’s representatives, agents, privies, and/or anybody acting through it from proceeding to conduct the forthcoming gubernatorial election scheduled to hold on March 11, 2023, in Rivers State, pending the determination of the motion on notice before this Honourable Court.”
