A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 7 for definite hearing in a suit filed by Senator  Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of a  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  group against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Salim Ibrahim, who fixed the date yesterday to allow all parties to file and respond to processes served on them, held that all pending applications and substantive suits would be taken together by the adjourned date.

Justice Ibrahim also ordered all the parties to file and serve their processes as agreed by July 6.

The judge, who held that the court would not entertain further delay of proceedings on the next adjourned date, adjourned the matter until July 7 for hearing of all applications, including the substantive suit.

Justice Ibrahim had, on June 19, ordered an accelerated hearing in the case.

He gave the order after counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche  (SAN), informed the court that the suit is time-bound based on INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election, which gave July 17 as an ultimatum.

Members of the Wabara-led BoT and the PDP group had filed the fresh suit seeking an order of the court compelling INEC to recognise the Tanimu  Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) on its official website.

The plaintiffs also sought an order directing the electoral umpire to, forthwith, update its records and publish on its official website the interim NWC as forwarded by the plaintiffs and its National Executive Committee (NEC).

They said the names of members of the  Turaki-led NWC were forwarded to INEC  via letters dated May 4.

The originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by   Chris Uche (SAN).

The other BoT members are former governor. Muazu Aliyu (secretary); former Minister of Information. Jerry Gana and  Olabode George.

Others are  former Minister of Women Affairs,   Maryam Ciroma; another ex-Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Zainab Maina; and  Dame Esther Uduehi 

They sued INEC as the sole defendant in the suit.

When the case was called, Uche announced his appearance for all the plaintiffs, while  Sunday Ameh (SAN) also announced his appearance for the   PDP group.

Uche informed the court that on the last adjourned date, he was ready for the hearing of the matter when he was confronted with applications by parties seeking to be joined in the case.

He said he had responded to the applications accordingly and was ready for the hearing of the suit.

Uche, therefore, applied that all the applications, including their substantive suit, should be taken together and a ruling and judgment delivered.

He said this would save judicial time and enable his clients to meet the INEC’s timetable for submission of names of candidates for the 2027 elections.

The lawyer said that the commission had reiterated that its “July 11 for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct.”

“They said the submission started yesterday and parties have been given an access code, and we also need the access code too,” Uche said.

He, therefore, prayed the court to grant his application and appealed to lawyers to other parties to also reason with him.

“It is a passionate appeal we are making,” he said.

Ameh, who also appeared for the 8th plaintiff, O. A. Adeyemi, counsel for INEC; Chief Fedinard Orbih (SAN), who represented parties seeking to be joined as defendants and Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), who also appeared for applicants seeking to join as defendants, did not oppose Uche’s application.

Justice Ibrahim consequently adjourned the matter until July 7 for the hearing of all applications and the substantive suit.

Source: The Nation News