Judge Orders INEC To Use Companies That Are Not Baised in the Distribution Of Election Materials

The Court of Appeal has rejected a Federal High Court judgement in Lagos that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transfer election results in the state.

The Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, its Lagos governorship candidate, and 42 other House of Representatives candidates filed a lawsuit in March (ref. FHC/L/CS/370/2023) seeking a writ of mandamus to compel INEC to comply with its regulations and guidelines requiring electronic transmission of results.

The directions requested were granted by Justice Peter Lifu of the Lagos Federal High Court.

The judge also directed INEC to utilise unbiased, professional, and dependable logistics businesses that are not biassed in the distribution of election materials, according to Vanguard.

Angered by the Supreme Court’s ruling, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has applied for leave to appeal the decision.

In its appeal, the APC argued that INEC has discretion to decide on the mode of transmission of election results.

The party also argued that the judge had wrongly assumed jurisdiction over the case, as the matter should have been referred to the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The party also argued that the court was wrong to reject the application of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), adding that the case before the court had far-reaching consequences for all registered political parties participating in the 2023 parliamentary elections.