Electoral Act: Don’t tamper with law, court tells Buhari, others

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, stopped the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), Attorney General of the Federation and Senate President from tampering with the newly amended Electoral Act 2022, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on an ex parte application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, agreed that the Electoral Act had become a valid law and could not be tampered with without following due process.

According to NAN, Justice Ekwo held that the proper place  to challenge validity of any existing law was in a court of competent jurisdiction.

The PDP, through its counsel, James Onoja (SAN), sued the  President along with the others challenging what it described as a bid to tinker with the newly amended Electoral Act.

The AGF as well as the Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, Clerk of National Assembly, Senate Leader, House of Representatives Leader and Independent National Electoral Commission, were named as defendants in the suit, NAN reports.

Also joined as defendants in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/247/2022 were Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Senate Leader and Deputy Leader, House of Representatives.

The party prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the president and other defendants from refusing to implement the duly signed Electoral Act.

The PDP also applied for an order of the court stopping the National Assembly from giving effect to the  President’s request to remove Section 84 (12) from the Electoral Act or take any step that would make the provision inoperative pending the resolution of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

According to NAN, hearing of the matter has been fixed for March 21.

(NAN)