Support group Peter Obi is suing INEC. at

Weeks after his threat, the Peter Obi Support Network dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission to a federal high court in Abuja after its decision to suspend continuous voter registration until at least 90 days before the 2023 general election.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022 filed on his behalf by a law firm, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu (SAN) & Co., argued that the abrupt termination of voter registration would deprive millions of eligible voters during the 2023 presidential election.

The lawsuit seeks, among other things, an injunction forcing INEC to reverse its previous directive to halt the nationwide CVR exercise on July 31, 2022, and to overturn the committee’s decision to set a timeline for the CVR exercise. exercise outside the timeline as ultravires to be declared provided by the Elections Act 2022, as amended.

The plaintiffs raised the following points for determination:

“Whether it concerns the combined provisions of Articles 76(2), 77(2), 116(2), 117(2), 132(2) & (5) and 178 (2) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as well as Sections 9(1), 9(6), 10(1) and 12(1) of the Election Laws, 2022, the accused may or has the right or liberty to stop continuous voter registration on July 31, 2022, approximately more than seven and a half (71/2) months (208 days), or any other day not until ninety (90) days before the general election when there are millions of potential voters include the claimants who have not registered and are willing to do so.”

Plaintiffs applied to the court for the following injunctions:

“A statement that the defendant is expected in accordance with the provisions of Sections 76(2), 77(2), 116(2), 117(2), 132(2) & (5) and 178(2) & (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Sections 9(1), 9(6), 10(1) and 12(1) of the Election Laws, 2022, to continue voter registration to set, update and review the electoral register up to 90 days before the general elections to be announced on February 25, 2023 and March 11, 2023.

“A statement that it is the Defendant’s constitutional responsibility to ensure that any prospective Nigerian voter who has expressed a desire to register to vote is not deprived of his civil rights to register and participate in the forthcoming general elections to be held on February 25, 2023 and March 11, 2023.

“A court order directing the defendant to immediately resume the registration of new voters, to update and revise the electoral register until at least 90 days before the general elections to be held on February 25, 2023 and March 11, 2023.”

According to lead counsel, Ifeanyi Nrialike, more than 300 members of POSN in the 36 states and Abuja have contacted POSN’s legal team, expressing frustration at their inability to register due to voter registration’s shutdown. INEC.

One of the plaintiffs, Ernest Stanley, said he visited the registration center in Lugbe on several occasions to register as a voter.

He said: “Having been to the registration centers in all cases to register, I would meet a gigantic crowd of potential voters who also came for the same purpose that we queued for hours for without getting any attention.

“That at the registration center where I went to register, there were not enough staff, such as the Registration Officer, to help the crowd that needed to register.

“That in several cases the registration would not go through with excuses that the system was not working properly, and that the machine broke down as an excuse and that there would be no registration exercise all day.

“That before you know what happened, and much to my chagrin, the defendant announced through his national chairman that continued voter registration would end on July 31, 2022.”