[b]Justice Babs Kuewunmi of the Federal High court, Abuja this morning declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no power to disqualify any candidate under the 1999 Constitution. Delivering judgement in a matter instituted by Action Congress (AC) and Vice President Atiku Abubakar against INEC, Justice Kuewunmi cited Section 32 (5) of the 2006 Electoral Act which vested the power to disqualify a candidate on the court. According to him, INEC’s function is limited to conducting elections for the 2007 polls.

Prior to this ruling, INEC had claimed that it had power to verify documents submitted by candidates for the purpose of standing for election. The court agreed that the electoral body had a vital role in the fourth schedule of the constitution as regards the conduct of elections. The judge, however, posited that Section 132 (6) of the Electoral Act 2006, also makes it a crime for a party to sponsor any candidate not fit to stand for election and stipulate a fine of N500,000 against the party. The court, however, failed to grant an order as requested by the vice president, saying that the verification exercise had been concluded by INEC.

According to Justice Kuewunmi, “the court would not grant an order over a concluded act. An injunction is not a remedy for a concluded action.” No cost was awarded in this matter.[/b]

http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1917

It´s the end of the road for Atiku

thank you.

We Nigerians should not be sentimental about this, Obj isn't contestiing elections, it is Atiku. So it does not mattter is a thief is catching a thief, what matters is if a thief is being caught. Bye to bad rubbish. Thiefs cannot rule us.