YIAGA Africa Frowns At Judicial Interference In Polls

CIVIL Society Organisation (CSO), YIAGA Africa yesterday said the level of interference by the judiciary in the governorship and state assemblies’ election casts a doubt on the integrity of the electoral process.

YIAGA Africa Watching the vote Chairman, Hussaini Abdu, in a conference in Abuja said the group is concerned with the manner some judges have granted applications to election matterswithoutrecoursetojudicial precedent and extant laws.

Following the March 9 elections, political parties have resorted to procuring court injunctions to restrain the electoral umpire from concluding elections in states like Adamawa and Bauchi. "Justice Abdulaziz Waziri of the Adamawa state high court issued an injunction restraining INEC from conducting rerun elections in Adamawafollowinganapplication by the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), a political party that never presented a candidate in the main election. In addition, is the order issued by Justice Inyang Ekwo of Federal High Court in Abuja restraining INEC from continuing with the collation of results in Bauchi state based on an ex parte motion initiated by the APC and its candidate, Mohammed Abubakar. These casts doubt on the integrityandtransparencyof the judiciary to uphold electoral justice" Audufurtherallegedinducement of voters by politicians using gift items and cash in locations considered to be swing wards and polling units. According to him, the highest bidder will determine the supplementary elections.