Breaking News: Court declines to stop INEC from announcing Rivers Governorship election results

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday has declined to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to stop the planned collation and announcement of the results of the Rivers State governorship and house of assembly elections held in March.

A disruption of the collation process at some collation centres led to the suspension of results of the elections, with Biokpomabo Awara, candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), maintaining an early lead in the governorship race.

INEC subsequently announced it would issue “detailed timelines and activities” for the completion of the governorship and state house of assembly elections in Rivers State on March 20.

However, an ex parte application filed by counsel to the AAC candidate prayed the court for “an order of Interim Injunction restraining INEC from resuming, collating or announcing the result of the suspended elections in Rivers State in respect of the election to the office of Governor and the Houses of Assembly”.

Ruling, on Wednesday, on the ex parte motion filed by the counsel to the AAC candidate asking the court to prevent INEC from resuming collation and announcement of results, Justice Inyang Ekwo refused to grant the order, instead asking the plaintiff to put INEC on notice to show cause why the order should not be granted.

He adjourned the case to Monday, March 25.

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