A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday asked both the Independent National Electoral Commission and the senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, to “maintain the status quo” pending the hearing of applications filed by Melaye to challenge his recall by his constituents.
Justice John Tsoho directed the parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing of the senator’s motion seeking an interlocutory injunction to hear the recall process.
The judge fixed September 29 for the hearing of the said motion.
Melaye’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) while speaking with Punch said the court order means INEC “can no longer proceed with the recall process from today(Thursday).”
Melaye had on June 23 sued the INEC seeking an order restraining the electoral body from conducting any referendum aimed at recalling him.
He urged the court to declare the petitions submitted to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, as “illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
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