Supreme Court Reserves Judgement In Suit Seeking To Void Section 84(12) Of New Electoral Act
By Felix ifijeh
The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in a suit seeking to void Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The suit was filed by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN).
A seven-member panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed, announced the reservation of judgement after lawyer to parties made their final submissions on Thursday.
Justice Mohammed said parties would be informed about the date of delivery when the judgement is ready.
The court had on May 19, admitted an application filed by Rivers to be joined in the suit.
Justice Musa Dattijo, who led the seven-member panel of the justices of the apex court, allowed the joinder application that Rivers brought, through the Speaker of its House of Assembly and its Attorney-General and adjourned the hearing on the suit until May 26.
The applicants told the court that they were opposed to the suit marked SC/CV/504/2022, which originally had the National Assembly as the sole respondent.
THEWILL reported that President Buhari and Malami, had in the suit marked: SC/CV/504/2022, argued that the Constitution has made provisions for qualifications and disqualifications for the offices of the President and Vice President, Governor and Deputy-Govemor, Senate and House of Representatives, and House of Assembly, Ministers, Commissioners and Special Advisers.
May 22, (THEWILL) – They want an order nullifying the provisions of Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022 by application of the blue pencil rule, for being unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and having been made in excess of the legislative powers of the defendant as enshrined in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.
The President, while signing the amended bill into law in February, had urged the National Assembly to expunge Clause 84(12) of the Act.
The clause reads: “No political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”
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