Court rejects move to stop local government election

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has again refused to stop the local government elections scheduled to hold today in the state.

Justice Akintoye Aluko in a ruling delivered on Friday upheld the submission of the Lagos State Government and declined jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit.

The Attorney General & Commissioner of Justice in Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN, has in his submission told the judge that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain their claims.

The Alliance of Social Democrats & 10 Other Political Parties had filed the suit against the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) and Lagos State Government seeking to stop the holding of the Chairmen and Councillors election into the 57 Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas.

The political parties claimed that the Court of Appeal reversed INEC’s decision to deregister them but despite this, LASIEC did not list their parties on the ballot. They therefore invited the court to stop today’s LG elections.

The judge also transferred the suit to the State High Court pursuant to Section 22 (2) Federal High Court Act.

“I hold the considered view that this court does not Possess the requisite jurisdiction to entertain this case

“I hold that it is Lagos State High Court that has jurisdiction to adjudicate over the claims of the plaintiffs

“This is an appropriate case where this Court should exercise its powers under Section 22 (2) of the Federal High Court Act See Five Star Industry Ltd v. Bank of Industry Ltd (2017)

“Accordingly, pursuant to section 22(2) of the Federal High

Court Act, this matter is hereby transferred to the Chief Judge of

Lagos State High Court as the appropriate Court for adjudication”

In a related development, the Court also upheld the same decision in another matter filed by the Youth Party against LASIEC.

Justice Aluko not only declined jurisdiction on the matter but also vacated the Interim Order of Injunction earlier granted in the matter on the 12th of July 2021.

With this latest developments, the elections in to the 57 Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the State will now hold as scheduled on Saturday, 24th July, 2001.