Court Rules On Suspending Lagos Council Election

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State has refused to order the suspension of the local government elections in Lagos scheduled for Saturday, July 24, 2021.

Naija News reports that Justice Chukwujekwu Aneken adjourned till November 29, proceedings in the suit filed by 11 political parties

The judge gave the ruling after upholding the argument of counsel to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).

The 11 parties are Alliance for Social Democrats; All Grand Alliance Party; Change Advocacy Party; Mega Party of Nigeria; Progressive People’s Alliance; Save Nigeria Congress; We The People’s of Nigeria; Young Democratic Party; Advanced Congress of Democrats and Mass Movement of Nigeria.

Joined as first to third defendants/respondents in the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/569/21 are LASIEC; Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The plaintiffs’ grouse is that LASIEC allegedly failed to register them for the election.

At the resumption of proceedings, Monday other political parties including the African Action Congress (AAC), African Peoples Movement (APM) and BOOT informed the court of their intention to join as plaintiffs.

Responding, Pinheiro prayed the court to adjourn proceedings till after the annual vacation of the court because, among others, the intending parties who said they had filed a notice to join the suit, had yet to serve him and until that was done, the case could not go on.

Granting his application, Justice Aneke adjourned till November 29 for the hearing of all applications.

He advised the plaintiffs to approach the vacation judge during vacation.