The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised an alarm over the conflicting court orders arising from the disputes among members of the same party. INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said this in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, some politicians obtain orders from courts that have been completely removed from the geographical area where the course of action arose. “The Commission is worried about the spate and rapidity of conflicting court orders mostly obtained ex-parte involving substantially the same parties, on the same or similar grounds and from courts of coordinate jurisdiction on issues and challenges around the administration of political parties and conduct of party primaries,” he said.
He added, “The Commission is committed to obeying all court orders, but the speed, frequency, and conflicting nature of the Orders leave it in an awkward and impossible position.” Okoye, therefore, called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to impress on senior members of the Bar to put the country’s interest and the judiciary above every other interest.
He urged the NBA to tell its members not to allow personal considerations to outweigh their commitment to the profession, the rule of law and due process. The INEC official stressed that it was in the best interest of the Bar and the Bench not to do anything that would bring them into disrepute.
