The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos will on Friday decide whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can engage the Lagos State Parks Management Committee led by Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo to distribute 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos.
Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke fixed the date after hearing Abass Arisekola Ibrahim, counsel to the plaintiffs/applicants, who argued the suit’s originating motion.
The suit marked FHC/L/CS/271/2023 was filed by three political parties and their gubernatorial candidates in Lagos State seeking to stop an Akinsanya-led Lagos State Parks Management Committee collaboration with INEC.
The plaintiffs/applicants are the Labour Party (LP), its guber candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), its guber candidate Funsho Doherty the Boot Party and its guber candidate Wale Olumo, while INEC is the defendant/respondent.
The judge on Monday granted the plaintiffs/applicants an interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from engaging an Akinsanya or any of the agents, or drivers of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee which he leads, from distributing INEC materials in Lagos State.
The judge, while adjourning the hearing of the substantive suit, ordered the applicants to serve the restraining order and other processes in the suit on the INEC.
Read Also: Court bars INEC from engaging MC Oluomo in distribution of materials
At the resumed hearing of the matter Wednesday, Mr Ibrahim, told the court that he had fully complied with the court orders, by serving all processes and the hearing notice on the INEC.
He said he was surprised that the respondent failed to appear in court.
The court thereafter granted the lawyer’s prayer to move his motion.
The lawyer complied, seeking several reliefs and prayed the court to grant them.
The reliefs included a declaration that the appointment, partnership, or contracting of the Akinsanya-led Lagos State Parks Management Committee by INEC to distribute 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos violates Sections 26 and 27 of the Electoral Act 2022 and consequently unlawful, null and void.
Others include that contracting of the Akinsanya-led Lagos State Parks Management Committee (established by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the APC gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State) and any of its members and/or drivers by INEC to distribute election materials and personnel in Lagos “will give room for election sabotage, manipulation, and rigging in favour of the APC and consequently unlawful and illegal.
The rest are “A declaration that the appointment, partnership, or contracting of Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo-led Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its members and/or drivers by INEC to distribute 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos State is unlawful, wrongful, unjust and/or unreasonable and should be immediately stopped.
“An order setting aside any partnership, undertaking, contract and/or MOU of any form or nature executed by Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, the Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its members and/or drivers with INEC to distribute election materials and personnel in Lagos State.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC and/or their privies or any persons acting under their directions from contracting, partnering or appointing Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its members and/or drivers to distribute 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos State.”