Elections sequence reordering: NASS takes issue to Appeal Court
- The National Assembly is asking the Abuja Appeal Court to set aside a judgment that it cannot re-order the proposed sequence for the 2019 general elections
- A Federal High Court judge had ruled that the election timetable earlier released by INEC could not be altered by the legislature
- The court said the electoral body was the only institution empowered by the Constitution to organise, undertake and supervise elections
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has been urged by the National Assembly, to set aside a Federal High Court judgment that the legislative arm of government does not possess powers to re-order the proposed sequence for the 2019 general elections.
The appellate court is being asked by lawmakers, to completely dismiss the plaintiff’s claims, Vanguard reports.
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Legit.ng notes that a suit had been filed by the Accord Party against the National Assembly, attorney general of the federation, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), after NASS tried to implement Section 58 of the Constitution, which allows the legislature to override the decision of the president. .
While delivering judgment on the matter, the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ruled that the election timetable earlier released by INEC could not be altered by the legislature.
According to the court, the electoral body was the only institution empowered by the Constitution to organise, undertake and supervise elections in the country.
The Accord Party had asked the court to decide if INEC was not solely empowered to carry out its function of overseeing Nigeria’s election timetable.
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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari and the attorney general of the federation Abubakar Malami were named as the 3rd and 4th defendant in a case filed against the National Assembly's plan to reorder the sequence of the 2019 elections.
The president and the AGF reportedly told a Federal High Court that they were not opposed to the suit challenging the attempt by the legislature to reorder the election sequence.
Election-2019: (Don't) mark your calendar - on Legit.ng TV:
Source: Legit.ng
