By Monday Osayande
No fewer than 74 political parties in Delta State have dragged the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) to the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, seeking an order to restrain the DSIEC from conducting the March 26 local government elections in the state over alleged unlawful exclusion of some parties from the ballot.
In the suit No, FHC/ASB/CS/4/21 dated January 15, 2021, the Change Advocacy Party (CAP) and 73 other parties are seeking an injunction compelling the INEC and DSIEC to cancel all primaries conducted in the state until they are included in the ballot.
One of the plaintiffs, Mr. Lucky Dikadi, chairman of the Change Advocacy party (CAP), and accompanied by Mr. Peter Emuakpoje, State chairman, of inter party Advisory council, yesterday told Jounalists in Asaba that the affected parties approached the court because of the refusal of the Delta government to heed the ruling of the Federal Court of Appeal, Abuja, that the parties should be added to the ballot.
In the suit, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is listed as the 1st Defendant, while DSIEC is the 2nd Defendant.
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Dikadi, a governorship candidate in the 2019 governorship election in Delta state under the platform of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), said the Appeal court had on 10th August, 2020, in a suit number, CA/ABJ/CV/507/2020, gave judgment that the affected parties be relisted into the register of political parties in Delta.
“The plaintiffs are seeking among other things, a declaration that the refusal or neglect of the 1st defendant to relist the plaintiffs in the register of political parties is unlawful.
“A declaration that it is unlawful and unjustifiable for the 1st and 2nd defendants to exclude the plaintiffs from the processes and proceedings of the Delta State LG elections scheduled for 6th March, 2021, despite the judgement of the Appeal court.
“Also, an order of injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from releasing the register of voters to the 2nd Defendant for the purpose of the conduct of LGA elections unless and until the plaintiffs are relisted into the register of political parties in the state,” Dikadi said.
The judge, Justice T. B. Adegoke has, however, fixed Thursday, January 28, 2021 for hearing.
DSIEC Director of Publicity, Mr. Arubi Orughoh, declined commenting on the development, saying it was too impromptu.
