An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has ordered parties involved in the planned recall of a senator, Dino Melaye, to maintain Statusquo.
Mr. Melaye’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, explained that maintaining statusquo meant the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should halt the plan to proceed with the recall of the Kogi senator.
The order was made exparte; implying the order was given without hearing the order party, in this case INEC.
Mr. Melaye’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, confirmed the order to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday evening.
“The court gave an order exparte saying that parties should maintain statusquo until it hears our motion for interlocutory injunction; because we had filed a motion for interlocutory injunction”.
“Now parties have all been asked to let things remain as they are, till September 29 when the court will entertain arguments on the interlocutory injunction seeking to stop INEC from proceeding with the recall,” Mr. Ozekhome said.
INEC had listed its planned procedure for the recall process of Mr. Melaye following petitions written and signed by more than half of the electorates from Kogi West senatorial district where Mr. Melaye represents.
The process had been slated to begin on July 10.
Mr. Melaye approached the court shortly after the said processes were disclosed by INEC on Monday.
A group of indigenes from Kogi State had also filed a separate appeal at the same court demanding the suspension of the recall process by the commission.
Reacting to the various applications in court, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said mere applications without court decisions were inadequate to prevent the recall process.
“Only a legitimate court order or an injunction can be considered by the commission,’’ Mr. Oyekanmi had said.
INEC has not reacted to the latest court decision and how it would implement it.
PREMIUM TIMES