Court okays tomorrow’s LG poll in Kogi

Johnson Babajide, Lokoja - 25.07.2008

THE Kogi State High Court has granted the state Independent Electoral Commission (KSIEC) the leave to go ahead with tommorrow’s local government election.

Justice Tom Yakubu, who gave the ruling on Thursday in Lokoja, the state capital, dismissed the application brought before him, praying the court to restrain the commission from conducting the election tomorrow.

Thirteen members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the umbrella of Forum of PDP Chairmanship and Councillorship Aspirants, had dragged the party, SIEC and 12 others to court for allegedly not conducting primaries to elect the candidates for the council election.

Justice Yakubu dismmised the application, but granted another application by the plaintiffs calling for the restraint of the party from suspending or expelling them or striking out their names from the party membership list.

The Judge said the plaitiffs had nothing to suffer if the election was conducted, but stated that the government would suffer more if the election was cancelled.

He said cancelling the election at this time would be unfair because the election was not meant for the PDP alone but all political parties.

The judge also said that the application on motion did not come at the time the substantive suit was filed before the court.

The application was filed on behalf of the 13 aggrieved members by their counsel, Mr. Moses Enwerem.