By Adeleye Kunle
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed November 28 to rule in a request by Senator Ita Enang to be joined in a suit instituted by Akanimo Udofia and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Judge fixed the date on Monday after counsel for the parties adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the motion.
Enang, former Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta, had filed the motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1290/22 after Justice Nwite granted him leave to do so.
The application, seeking to join Enang, a governorship aspirant of APC as 2nd defendant in the suit, was dated and filed on October 12.
APC and Udofia had sued INEC as the sole defendant in the matter.
Udofia, a factional governorship candidate of the APC, is seeking an order compelling INEC to accept his name as governorship candidate for Akwa Ibom 2023 poll.
He is also asking for an order directing the commission to publish his name as forwarded by the party to it.
The plaintiffs had, in the suit, argued that INEC cannot refuse to publish the name of a person sent to it as the candidate of a political party.
The court after listening to parties in the suit had fixed October 6 for judgment.
However, the sudden appearance of Enang in court forced the Judge to halt the delivery of the judgment.
Enang drew the attention of the court to his presence as a party seeking to be joined in the matter.
He argued that he would be prejudiced if the court delivered its judgment without hearing him out.
Meanwhile, in the affidavit in support of the motion for joinder, Enang averred that he contested in the APC Akwa Ibom governorship election of May 26, alongside with the 2nd plaintiff (Udofia) and others
