Abuja – An Abuja High Court on Monday reserved judgment till July 29, John Unachukwu’s suit challenging the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) use of internet voting for its election.
Unachukwu dragged the registered Trustees of the NBA to court to stop the use of internet voting as against e-voting stipulated in the constitution for the Bar election.
The plaintiff, a Lagos-based lawyer and judicial editor of Nation newspaper, also challenged his disqualification from contesting for the post of National Publicity Secretary.
He joined, Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN) President NBA, Mr Ken Mozia (SAN), Chairman, electoral committee of NBA, Grace Infotech limited, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) and Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) as co-respondents.
The judge, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi had earlier struck out a notice of discontinuance against the 6th defendant.
Adeniyi held that the court could not grant the application against the 6th defendant, who is one of the presidential candidates in a matter that affected him.
“I have considered the notice of discontinuance, I hereby strike out the notice of discontinuance and hereby order that the suit should proceed,” he ruled.
Unachukwu’s counsel, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru (SAN) urged the court to restrain the NBA from conducting the elections by Internet voting pending the determination of the suit.
He also averred that the NBA Electoral Committee had scheduled the 2016 general elections for Saturday July 30 and Sunday July 31.
He also said that he had expressed interest to contest and actually emerged sole candidate for the office of National Publicity Secretary only to be disqualified by the committee.
He claimed to be an associate of J-K Gadzama Law Firm and was called to bar in 2004, and has been in the private sector and in private law practice.
At the resumed hearing all the counsel in the matter argued and adopted their final written addresses.
