BREAKING (AHIWE VS OTTI): Court Strikes Out PDP’s Motion Against INEC

The governorship election petition tribunal sitting at the Federal High Court Umuahia in Abia State, has struck out an application filed by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP for a contempt of court order on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER had reported that in the suit no. EPT/AB/GOV/1/2023, filed by PDP and their governorship candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe, against Labour Party, Alex Otti and INEC, the PDP on August 25, 2023 during trial presented an application before the tribunal seeking that Yakubu Mahmood, INEC Chairman, be committed and be mandated to explain why it failed to avail them all the election materials as ordered by the court.

While reading the ruling of the three member panel, at the resumed sitting on September 7, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice H.T.D. Gwadah noted that the PDP’s application is not a strange process as argued by INEC’s counsel, however all motions should be moved during pre-hearing sessions except on exceptional cases as required by the law.

Gwadah noted that the motion not being an exceptional matter, ought to have been moved during pre-hearing or the applicants should have moved for an exparte order.

She ruled therefore that ” the application is incompetent and is struck out”.