Kogi, Bayelsa Polls: ACPN, FJP Lose To INEC At S’Court

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed two separate appeals filed by the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ACPN and FJP had instituted separate actions over what they alleged was their parties’ unlawful exclusion from the November 16, 2019, Kogi and Bayelsa states governorship elections.
Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who led a five-man panel of justices dismissed the cases which had been withdrawn by the appellants’ counsel.
Ngwuta  described the cases as academic and therefore cannot be heard and said, ‘this case having been withdrawn, and there being no objection is hereby dismissed, and all parties bear their costs.
Lead Counsel to both appellants (ACPN and FJP), A. Adamson, who had earlier told the panel that his clients came to the apex court to obtain justice eventually withdrew the case.
Counsel to INEC Mr S. O Ibrahim, also told the court that he had no objection to the withdrawal of the appeal and were equally not asking for costs.
Both parties claimed that they were unlawfully excluded from the elections even after complying with the election timetable issued by the electoral umpire.
They claimed they did their governorship primaries in Lokoja and Yenagoa respectively on September 5, 2019, in the presence of the representatives of the INEC and also met all other requirements.