The Independent National Electoral Commission has been barred from conducting elections in Michika constituency of Adamawa state by an Adamawa State High Court presided by the state Chief Judge, Justice Nathan Musa.
Justice Musa is said to have granted an interim injunction in case centered on the defection of a Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker, Ayuba Kwada, to the All Progressives Congress.
The Chief Judge also restrained the state accountant general from stopping the salary of the embattled lawmaker whose seat was initially declared vacant by Speaker of the Adamawa State Assembly, Aminu Iya-Abass, pending the hearing and final determination of the suit.
Kwada, popularly known as ‘Depolis’, had approached the court seeking an order to maintain status quo ante before the “illegal” declaration of his seat vacant, pending the interpretation of section 109 subsection (1g) of the 1999 Constitution and hearing of the motion on notice.
Justice Nathan Musa who ruled that the court can’t determine the illegality of declaring the seat of Depolis vacant at this stage as prayed, restrained INEC from carrying out any action which could lead to the conduct of polls into Michika constituency of Adamawa State.
The case was then adjourned till May 16, 2022, for the hearing of the originating process.
