This judgement can't stand

Sun News

25 Feb 2011

This judgement can't stand
*Marwa, Alaibe others fault court order stopping guber polls in 5 states
*Protest in Kogi, CNPP in C'River urges INEC to appeal

Reactions have continued to trail Wednesday's Abuja Federal High Court judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exclude five states from the gubernatorial elections in April. Some individuals, groups and political parties have faulted the judgment and have vowed to appeal.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Wednesday stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting governorship elections in Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Cross River and Bayelsa states, saying there were no vacancies in the governorship seats in those states.

The court presided over by Justice Adamu Bello held that the tenure of the five sitting governors, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris (Kogi), Aliyu Wammakko (Sokoto), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross Rivers) and Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa) shall not expire until sometime next year.

But the Adamawa State chapter of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) declared yesterday that it would challenge the judgment in court. The party would be joined by its gubernatorial candidate, Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd), as an interested party in the suit.