PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SUES INEC OVER POLLS' TIMETABLE

A PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the National Action Council (NAC), Dr. Olapade Agoro, has asked the Lagos High Court for an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from using the election timetable it released last November.

In a suit filed, Agoro is praying the court to determine whether or not the election timetable released last year by INEC could be valid for the conduct of April polls, when the President has just signed the amended Constitution guiding elections this year.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

Agoro, in the suit No. FHC/IKJ/07/2011, prayed the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from using the election timetable it issued in November 23, 2010, for the conduct of 2011 elections and restraining all the defendants jointly from abusing his fundamental rights of having access to information relevant to the conduct of the elections.

He argued that it is illegal and unlawful for the defendants to have grossly abused and violated his fundamental rights by not making public for him to see the newly signed amended Electoral Act, as required by the electoral body.

Agoro is also praying the court to determine whether the timetable issued by INEC on November 23, 2010, for the April 2011 elections can be valid and lawful when the amended 1999 Constitution was only signed into law by President Jonathan on January 10 this year.

He wants the court to determine whether the timetable can be valid when the Electoral Act legally empowering the said timetable issued by the INEC was still getting amended by the National Assembly as at December 10, 2010.

No date has been fixed for the hearing on the case.