The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has stopped the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) from engaging the services of the chairman of Lagos Parks and Garages, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, in distributing materials for the 2023 general elections.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke granted the order of interlocutory injunction following an application filed by the Labour Party, LP, its gubernatorial candidate in Lagos state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and four others.
The injunction by the court restrains the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, (defendant/respondent), whether by itself or by its officers, affiliates, servants, privies or agents or any person acting or purporting to act for and on behalf howsoever from taking any steps or further steps whatsoever in furtherance of the engagement or appointment or consummating the appointment of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo-led Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its commercial bus drivers to distribute 2023 election materials and personnel in Lagos State pending the hearing and determination the substantive suit.”
The commission was absent at the proceedings, but the counsel to the Labour Party told the court that the commission was served with the court papers.
Recall that the Residential Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Olusegun Agbaje, had said, ”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.
“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.”
According to him, adding that NARTO was not able to meet up with the 40 per cent needs of the commission for the election, leading the commission to consider the Lagos State Parks and Garages, headed by MC Oluomo
He adds, “We are not dealing with MC Oluomo, we are dealing with park managers. They are individual persons that have vehicles that we are going to use for the elections.
“The law has already banned the NURTW from operating in the state so we cannot violate the law by patronising them.
“It will be we working against the law if we have to be working with the banned associations. So it cannot work.”
