Court orders n’assembly to suspend action on election reordering bill

The federal high court, Abuja, has ordered the national assembly to suspend actions on the electoral act.

President Muhammadu Buhari rejected amendment to the act on Tuesday.

In a letter to both chambers of the national assembly, the president said the amendment to the “sequence of elections in section 25 of the principal act, may infringe upon the constitutionally guaranteed discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise, undertake and supervise elections provided in Section 15(a) of the third statue to the constitution”.

Ahmed Mohammed, the judge, gave the restraining order in a suit filed by Accord Party on Wednesday.

The party is challenging the constitutionality of the ‎amendment to the electoral act.

Wole Olanipekun, counsel to the party, had prayed the court for a “preservative order”.

The judge held that the order is to preserve the substance of the main suit.

Mohammed ruled that if the national assembly went ahead to exercise its powers by overriding the president, the essence of the suit would be defeated.

Chinelo Ogbozor, counsel to the national assembly, had opposed the Olanipekun’s appeal but to no avail.

The restraining order is till March 17 which is the adjourned date.