Justice Inyang Ekwo, sitting at the Abuja Federal High Court, has overruled an application for stay of execution on INEC to stop the resumption of results collation of hitherto rescheduled election in parts of Rivers State.
Filed by te candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara, the application sought the court to order INEC to desist from continuing its planned collation of results and announcement of the governor-elect.
Collation of results was disrupted in some affected local governments with the AAC Candidate touted to be in the lead.
Following INEC’s decision last Saturday to resume the collation process and subsequent announcement of the winner, Awara, headed to court hoping to forestall the process and enjoin INEC to proceed with the supplementary elections which had been scheduled for March 23.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo refused to grant prayers of the plaintiff, urging the AAC put INEC on notice to show cause why the order should not be granted.
He adjourned the case until Monday, March 25.
In a response to the decision of the court, INEC announced that 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.