A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jabi, Abuja, has granted an interim order restraining the All Progressives Congress (APC) from presenting one Murtala Usman Karshi for the purpose of Abuja Municipal Area Council election.
The court, presided over by Justice B. Hassan, also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Karshi as APC candidate for the election.
The court also granted the order abridging the time which the defendants are to file counter affidavits and other process in response to the summon, from 42 to 8 days.
In the motion ex-parte, marked FCT/HC/M/3387/2021, the plaintiff, Suleiman Alhassan Gwagwa, seeks to stop the party from fielding Karshi as its candidate for the council election on the ground that he won the primary election of the party.
The suit has Karshi, the APC, INEC, the Inspector General of Police, State Security Service (SSS), chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Mail Mala Buni as 1st to 6th defendants.
All members of the Caretaker committee are also defendants in the suit.
The plaintiff, through his counsel, Abdulhamid Mohammed, in the motion filed on June 9, 2021, prayed the court for interim injunction restraining the 3rd defendant (INEC) from recognising the 1st defendant as the candidate of the 2nd defendant (APC) for the Abuja Municipal Area Council election pending the determination of the originating summons.
He also sought interim injunction stopping Karshi “from taking further steps in respect of the issues already submitted for adjudication as it relates to the candidature of the plaintiff as candidate who won the APC primary elections for Abuja Municipal Area Council.”
Ex-parte order has a short lifespan during which the plaintiff is expected to put the defendants on notice to come and show cause why the interim order should not be made permanent.
See the Order of Interim Injunction Here:
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