Court Shifts Hearing In PDP’s Suit Against Buhari On Electoral Act till May 24

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 24 for a definite hearing in a suit instituted against President Muhammadu Buhari by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on the controversial sections 84 (11) and (12) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo fixed the new date on Monday to enable Buhari and PDP to address him on the effect of the Court of Appeal judgment in Abuja which declared the contentious Section 84 (12) as unconstitutional, null and void.

The judge on his own raised the issue on the ground that the PDP’s suit bothers on the same section of the law in which a higher court had made a pronouncement that would bind a lower court.

Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in response made spirited attempts to draw a distinction between the two matters and why the judge should proceed to hear the PDP’s suit.

However, Oladipupo Okpeseyi SAN disagreed with the PDP lawyer insisting that there was no difference between the Umuahia suit and that of PDP because the two are on the same Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act.

Following the disagreement, the judge held that all parties in the matter shall address him on May 24 on whether to abide by the Court of Appeal decision or proceed with the one before him.

Section 84 ( 12) of the Electoral Act orders all political appointees to resign from their positions 30 days before the conduct of the primary election that would produce candidates for elective offices in the 2023 general elections.