By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
A human right lawyer, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, has asked Osun State High Court to stop the State House of Assembly from amending the state’s electoral law.
Members of the Osun State House of Assembly had last week announced their readiness to amend the state’s electoral law after its second reading at the floor of the House.
But Ajibola noted that there was a pending lawsuit with No. HIL/M.66/17 instituted by him in 2017, challenging the constitutionality of the “State of Osun Local Government Law” which the state lawmakers are now planning to amend.
According to him, constitutionally and in lines with some court judgements already obtained, there is nothing called the “State of Osun Assembly” or the “State of Osun Law…” being brandished by the present government in the state.
The former Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ilesa Branch, in the new case filed on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022, urged the court to stop the assemblymen from tampering with the law already before it for consideration as such will be taken as prejudicial.
Ajibola, who attached a 35-paragraph affidavits to his fresh suit joined the state governor, the Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), APC, PDP, SDP, Labour Party and seven other political parties as defendants.
In his earlier suit, Ajibola had raised eyebrow against the use “State of Osun” not only by the Assembly but also in the state controversial electoral law.
Besides, he averred that all the members appointed into OSIEC were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While insinuating in his affidavits that OSIEC was planning to conduct election any time from now till November 26, 2022, he asked the court to grant six interlocutory orders against the respondents.
Some of his prayers include an order stopping the assemblymen from amending the state electoral law, an order stopping the governor, Adegboyega Oyetola from assenting the amended law and an order stopping the OSIEC from conducting any local government election pending the determination of the suit.
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