Natasha VS INEC: Federal High Court Sets For Judgment

The federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, has set November 7, for judgment on the case of the alleged illegal disqualification of the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Barr Natasha Akpoti by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).


The Counsel to Natasha Akpoti, Ola Olanipeku (SAN) had argued that the Nigeria constitution does not give the Defendant ((INEC) the right to screen, reject or disqualify any political candidate, arguing that section 31 of the electoral act and the supreme court precedents on the matter clearly shown that it is not the duty of INEC to determine the validity of a candidate, adding that it is the duty of competent court of jurisdiction to determine who is qualify to contest for an election.

Olanipeku (SAN) argued further that the Third Plaintiff (SDP) candidate for the office of the deputy governor disqualified by the Defendant (INEC) on account of his age and rejected the subsequent substitution of the same candidate within the substitution window was beyond the power of the Defendant.

According to him, in the case of Action Congress vs INEC in 2007, the supreme court held that INEC does not have the power to determine or otherwise the validity of a candidate, praying the court to grant his prayers for SDP to participate in the Kogi governorship election slated for November 16.

The Counsel to the Defendant (INEC), TM Inuwa on the other hand argued that the Nigeria constitution mandated INEC to conduct election in the country, arguing that section 31 (8) of the Electoral Act criminalise invalid nomination.

Inuwa maintained that since the Third Plaintiff admitted to have done an invalid nomination, adding that the case lacks merit and prayed the court to dismiss it.