LG Polls: Court Dismisses ACN Suit Against RSIEC

A Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice Henry Aprioku, Monday, struck out a suit filed by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) seeking to nullify the just-concluded local government elections in Rivers State on the ground that the suit lacked merit.

Justice Aprioku also awarded twenty thousand Naira (N20,000) cost against the Action Congress of Nigeria.

The ACN had in a suit filed   to nullify the local government elections held in the state recently, based its argument on the grounds of short notice given by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) before the conduct of the said elections.

The party also claimed that they did not participate in the elections based on lack of sufficient time as stipulated in the electoral law, noting that such action was a ploy by the RSIEC to rob the party of its chance of winning the local government elections in the state.

The Action Congress of Nigeria had also prayed the court to cancel the said elections purportedly conducted by the RSIEC and order it to conduct fresh elections for chairmen and councilors in accordance with the ninety-days notice specified by the Electoral Act.

Delivering his judgement,  Justice Aprioku said that the evidence before the court showed that the period given by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission was enough for the conduct of the elections.

Justice Aprioku noted that ACN participated and won some positions in the elections citing examples of some posters by members of the party who contested during the elections for various positions.

He further stated that the party was confirmed to have collected N2million subvention from the RSIEC to participate in the election, adding that it would amount to illegality for any body to deliver judgement in favour of the party.

He therefore struck out the suit in favour of RSIEC and upheld the results of May 21, 2011 local government election conducted by the state Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

In an interview with newsmen, counsel to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Barrister Emenike Ebete commended  what he called timely judgement, noting that the position taken by the judge in the ruling was not disputable.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to inaugurate a Restructuring and Election Review Committee, Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, said in Abuja yesterday.

Idowu told newsmen that the committee would comprise a body of scholars and external consultants, who would review the activities of INEC and make recommendations for restructuring the Commission.

He said the committee would sit for one month and would commence its work from August 1.

Enoch Epelle