The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from engaging the services of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee in the distribution of election materials.
On Monday, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke granted an order of interlocutory injunction filed by the Labour Party and five others restraining the electoral commission from going ahead with the planned distribution of materials using the agency headed by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
Oluomo is a known supporter of the ruling All Progressives Congress and had led a rally in support of its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The INEC’s contracting of logistical support to an agency he leads had led to a backlash, with the Labour Party calling for the removal of the Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC.
The REC, Olusegun Agbaje, however, countered the opposition by saying that the deal for the movement of election materials was not with Oluomo but with Lagos State Park and Garages, which is a government agency.
“On the issue of MC Oluomo, the commission is not concerned with Oluomo. We are concerned with the issue of motor park administration in Lagos,” Agbaje had said earlier in February.
“For the past two years, the Lagos State government has banned the operations of the NURTW and RTEAN in the state. They had problems and the state government banned them.
“So we are left with Lagos State Park and Garages and the National Association of Road Transport Owners.”
Monday’s injunction is pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
