April polls: INEC to appeal against court ban on Osun REC

BY OKEY NDIRIBE

ABUJA-The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is set to appeal against yesterday’s ruling of a Federal High Court, Osogbo, which barred Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Amb. Rufus Akeju, from conducting next month’s general elections in the state. 

The commission’s lawyers are likely to appeal against the order of the Osogbo High Court at the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal.

Chief Press Secretary to  INEC Chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, confirmed INEC’s next line of action in an interviw with Vanguard yesterday.

It will be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo yesterday restrained INEC from using Amb Rufus Oluwatoyin Akeju as  Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the coming elections in the state and directed the commission to immediately appoint another REC for the state.

Osun State’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had dragged INEC and Akeju before the court on allegations of bias. He was also described as a sympathizer of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.

Akeju, who hails from Lagos State, is rumoured to have been nominated for the post by the Lagos State government.