Judiciary
Mike Ozekhome, SAN, a renown constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, and Abubakar Damisa Sani, a lawyer, have dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to court for ending continuous ending voter registration.
The two lawyers are asking for accelerated hearing of the case so as not to deprive from fulfilling their civic rights by INEC not registering them to vote in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Sani in an “Affidavit of Urgency” deposed in the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja, dated August 5, 2022, on his behalf and Ozekhome, who is the first plaintiff, noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, the defendant, was conducting the continuous voter’s registration across Nigeria until July 31, when it stopped the exercise.
He stated that the stoppage of the continuous voter registration by the defendant affected him personally and other Nigerians because he is yet to register to vote in the forthcoming general election scheduled to hold on February 25, 2023.
Other reasons he cited are that he “is keenly interested in voting in the general election to be conducted by INEC but cannot do so unless he is duly registered by the defendant.
“That prior to 31July, 2022 I visited several continuous voters’ registration centers in Abuja to register, without success as a result of the overwhelming crowd seeking to be registered.
“That I know as a fact that the cessation of the continuous voters’ registration has disenfranchised me and other eligible citizens and several other citizens who shall attain eighteen (18) years before the 27th day of November, 2022 which is exactly 90 (ninety) days to the next general election scheduled to hold on 25th February, 2023.”
Part of the affidavit reads: “That it will be in the interest of justice if this matter is given a most urgent attention because irreparable damage would be done to the plaintiff if it is not taken urgently
“That the 1st plaintiff and myself have brought this action to urgently enforce the right to register to vote against the Defendant who is determined to prevent myself and other eligible Nigerians from doing so.
“That unless this matter is urgently assigned, and expeditiously heard and determined, irreparable damage will be done to the Plaintiffs and other Nigerians, in that they would be barred from participating in the forthcoming general elections taking place on 25th February, 2023.
“That unless this action is timeously heard before the 90 days to the date of election, it would foist on this honourable court a situation of fait accompli and a complete helplessness and the 2nd Plaintiff’s and millions of other Nigerians’ right to register to vote and actually vote would be grossly violated.
“That it is necessary to grant accelerated hearing of this action.
“That I solemnly depose to this affidavit in good faith, conscientiously believing same to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act LFN, 2004.
Tags: Abubakar Damisa INEC Mike Ozekhome
