Nigerians in diaspora sue Buhari, INEC over election

…ask court to stop poll

Nigerians living in the United Kingdom and various parts of the world who have attained the voting age have dragged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the Independent National Electoral Commission to a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking enforcement of their fundamental rights to vote in the 2023 general elections.

The plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2119/2022, were asking the court to stop Buhari and INEC from further proceeding with the 2023 electioneering process until the INEC voter register and bio-data base were updated to accommodate them as registered voters.

According to the court processes obtained by journalists on Tuesday, the plaintiffs in the suit were Chikwe Nkemnacho and Kenneth Azubuike Nkemnacho, both residents of the United Kingdom. Still, they instituted the lawsuit on behalf of other Nigerians in the diaspora worldwide.

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The plaintiffs in the suit filed on their behalf by Augustine Temfeh-Nkemnacho were praying the court declare that they were entitled to participate in the electoral process by being registered to vote in 2023 and in all elections wherever they were domiciled worldwide in line with sections 13, 14, 42 and 17 of the 1999 constitution.

They also sought another declaration by the court to the effect that there is still sufficient time for INEC to comply with provisions of sections 13, 14 and 15 of the 1999 Constitution.

The plaintiffs canvassed that unless they were allowed to vote in the 2023 elections and subsequent ones, their fundamental rights as enshrined in the 1999 constitution would be grossly violated.

Justice Inyang Ekwo billed to hear the suit has fixed January 19, 2023, for its mention and to allow the defendants to file their respective responses.

The four defendants in the suit were INEC, the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, President Buhari and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.