Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Accord Party has requested a Federal High Court, Abuja to dismiss the swimsuit searching for the disqualification of all its candidates within the 2027 common election.
The social gathering, in a preliminary objection, argued that the swimsuit has turn out to be statute barred, having been filed exterior the 14 days prescribed by regulation.
The swimsuit 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 be querying the jurisdiction of the courtroom to entertain the swimsuit on the grounds that it relates to the problem of candidates’ nomination, which falls throughout the inside affairs of a political social gathering.
Besides, the social gathering can be difficult the plaintiff’s locus standi to file the swimsuit for not being an aspirant within the major election carried out on May 29, and that the correct events weren’t included.
It argued that whereas the plaintiff desires the courtroom to nullify the nomination of its candidates, not one of the candidates to be affected by the end result of the swimsuit had been made events to afford them the chance of being heard.
The social gathering additionally faulted the competence of the swimsuit 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 pointers, including that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has since recognised its consequence 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 might validly signal and submit candidates’ lists and types to INEC the place the National Secretary is unavailable consistent with 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 method 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 resolution 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, said in a counter-affidavit, that opposite to the plaintiff’s declare that her tasks had been usurped by the National Organising Secretary, she truly deserted her duties.
