A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the service of processes on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to appear over the purported disqualification of Ambassador Jameel Abubakar Waziri from the Adamawa governorship primary.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu in a ruling on an ex parte application by Waziri on Wednesday said it was in the interest of justice for all the parties to appear and respond to the issues in the matter.
“The reliefs are too weight to be granted without putting them on notice,” the judge said.
Earlier, counsel to Waziri, Louis Alozie (SAN) informed the court that the purported disqualification of Waziri was done in breach of the Electoral Act and the party guidelines after both the Yola South Local Government! Area and the Steering Committee cleared him for having fulfilled all the requirements to participate in the primary election billed for May 23.
Waziri had sought the following reliefs:
DECLARATION that the Plaintiff is duly qualified to contest the gubernatorial primary election of the 1st Defendant in Adamawa State for the selection/election of the 1st Defendant’s candidate for the Governorship election in Adamawa State.
A DECLARATION that the 1st Defendant cannot arbitrarily and capriciously disqualify the Plaintiff from contesting the Gubernatorial Primary Election in Adamawa State on grounds other than those stipulated in the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and to disallow the Plaintiff to participate in the processes leading to the election including failure to issue nomination forms (Forms EC9 and EC9B) is illegal and unconstitutional.
A DECLARATION that the 1st Defendant cannot issue the Plaintiff with a certificate of disqualification after the 1st Defendants appeal panel had adjudged and declared the Plaintiff qualified, eligible, and cleared him to so contest.
A DECLARATION that the purported disqualification of the Plaintiff from contesting the 1st Defendant’s Gubernatorial Primary Election in Adamawa State is unconstitutional, illegal, invalid, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
AN ORDER restraining the 1st Defendant from excluding or disallowing the Plaintiff from contesting the Gubernatorial Primary election in Adamawa State for the Selection of its gubernatorial Candidate for the 2023 general election in Adamawa State.
AN ORDER restraining the 2nd Defendant from accepting the result of any primary election of the 1st Defendant in which the Plaintiff was not allowed to contest.
AN ORDER directing the 1st Defendant to allow the Plaintiff to contest the gubernatorial primary election on its Platform for the 2023 general election.
AN ORDER of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendants whether by itself, agents, privies, officers or by whosoever from conducting the forthcoming gubernatorial primary election for Adamawa State to the exclusion of the Plaintiff.
AND FOR SUCH ORDERS OR FURTHER ORDERS that this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of this case.
The case was adjourned to May 26 for hearing.
