Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Accord Party has requested a Federal High Court, Abuja to dismiss the go well with looking for the disqualification of all its candidates within the 2027 basic election.
The social gathering, in a preliminary objection, argued that the go well with has develop into statute barred, having been filed outdoors the 14 days prescribed by legislation.
The go well with marked: FHC/ABJ/CV/2524/2026, was filed by the social gathering’s National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja.
However, the social gathering, in its objection filed by its lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), can also be querying the jurisdiction of the court docket to entertain the go well with on the grounds that it relates to the problem of candidates’ nomination, which falls inside the inside affairs of a political social gathering.
Besides, the social gathering can also be difficult the plaintiff’s locus standi to file the go well with for not being an aspirant within the major election carried out on May 29, and that the right events weren’t included.
It argued that whereas the plaintiff desires the court docket to nullify the nomination of its candidates, not one of the candidates to be affected by the end result of the go well with have been made events to afford them the chance of being heard.
The social gathering additionally faulted the competence of the go well with on the grounds that it’s allegedly untimely as a result of the plaintiff failed to give it the required 21 days pre-action discover.
Accord, listed because the second defendant, argued that its major was carried out in accordance with all related legal guidelines and tips, including that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has since recognised its end result and the checklist of candidates duly submitted to the electoral umpire within the prescribed format.
It additional argued that, as in opposition to the plaintiff’s competition, the National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary may validly signal and submit candidates’ lists and kinds to INEC the place the National Secretary is unavailable according to Article 18 of the social gathering’s structure and Regulations 25(3), 28(2) of INEC’s Guidelines.
Accord Party added:”INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties didn’t in any means specify that the plaintiff herein should signal the forwarding letter, neither did the structure of the second defendant require her (the plaintiff) to signal.
“The National Executives of the party expressly authorized the fourth defendant to co-sign with the 3rd defendant. No wrong has been done.”
Relying on the Supreme Court’s choice within the case of Jegede v. INEC, Accord Party argued that even when it was solely its nationwide chairman that signed, “the plaintiffs case is still bound to fail because the signature of the national chairman suffices on the authority of Jegede v. INEC.”
Accord Party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, acknowledged in a counter-affidavit, that opposite to the plaintiff’s declare that her tasks have been usurped by the National Organising Secretary, she really deserted her duties.
