A Federal High Court located in Abuja has disavowed any involvement in signing Form 48 against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several of its key figures. This information was conveyed through a letter originating from Chamber Justice E. Enenche and authenticated by Principal Registrar 1 Shehu Suleiman.
The letter, dated August 8, 2023, pertains to Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/174/2022, titled Chief Uzewuru Nwachukwu vs Kenneth Udeze, Action Alliance (AA), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Form 48 S.C.P.A (ORDER IX, RULE 13).
The communication states, “I have been instructed by his Lordship to inform your organization that the aforementioned form was neither endorsed by this Court’s registrar nor issued by this Court. Furthermore, please be aware that any correspondence, document, or order concerning this lawsuit with appeal No. Ca/AbJ/526/2022 shall only be considered legitimate if it is derived from the order of the court of appeal or is officially provided by this Court’s registrar (after the appellate court’s decision has been reached).”
Recalling recent events, it is noteworthy that Kenneth Udeze, a factional chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), had presented an order purportedly authorized by the court and had threatened legal action against INEC if the commission failed to abide by court directives. Udeze alleged that he sought Form 48 from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja against INEC, its chairman Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, INEC’s director in charge of political party monitoring and liaison, Mr Aminu Idris, and the director in charge of litigation and prosecution, Dr Tanimu Mohammed, within the case marked FCT/HC/CV/174/2022.
The Form 48 that Udeze possessed, which has now been repudiated by the FCT Court, contained the text, “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison for contempt of court.”
Udeze, who claimed to be the national chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), had previously faced suspension and expulsion from the party due to various violations, as ruled by the National Think Thank Committee. Recently, INEC acknowledged Dr Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the legitimate national chairman of the Action Alliance.
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