Court bars INEC from engaging MC Oluomo in election materials distribution

A federal high court in Lagos has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from engaging the services Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, chairman of the Lagos parks and garages, for the distribution of election materials and ad-hoc staff in the state.

Chukwujekwu Aneke, presiding judge, made the order on Monday, in a suit filed by the Labour Party.

Over the past few days, there has been controversy over the decision of the INEC to work with the Lagos state parks management committee to distribute election materials.

The Lagos state parks management is headed by MC Oluomo.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, had set up the parks committee after banning the operations of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

Olusegun Agbaje, INEC resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Lagos, said he had no option other than to work with the parks committee to distribute election materials in the state – a decision which has been greeted with criticism as regards the credibility of the polls since MC Oluomo is a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner for information, said the logistics contract for the distribution of election materials is with drivers and not transport unions.

The Labour Party and five other plaintiffs had gone to court to seek an interlocutory injunction restraining INEC, “whether by itself or by its officers, affiliates, servants, privies or agents or any person acting or purporting to act for and on behalf howsoever from taking any steps or further steps whatsoever in furtherance of the engagement or appointment or consummating the appointment of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo led Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its commercial bus drivers to distribute 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos State pending the hearing and determination the substantive suit”.

In the ruling, the judge restrained INEC from taking any steps or further steps whatsoever in furtherance of the engagement of the committee led by MC Oluomo pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.