Court orders INEC, National Assembly to supply paperwork in Chinda defection swimsuit

The order adopted an utility by the plaintiff, Samuel Amatonjie, who’s in search of licensed true copies of the APC membership register submitted to INEC on April 20, 2026, and a letter notifying the fee of the occasion’s deliberate primaries.

The courtroom additionally issued a subpoena directing the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk to the National Assembly to supply licensed copies of the House of Representatives Hansard masking April 2026 to June 2, 2026.

The paperwork are anticipated to assist Amatonjie’s case, which questions the eligibility of the APC governorship candidate, Kingsley Ogundu-Chinda, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC.

Meanwhile, counsel to the PDP, Paul Daudu, SAN, and counsel to Kingsley Ogundu-Chinda, Dike Udenna, complained about what they described because the late service of the plaintiff’s response to their preliminary objection difficult the courtroom’s jurisdiction.

They requested for extra time to review the response and file their replies.

After listening to from the attorneys, Justice Turaki directed all events to file and trade the required courtroom processes earlier than adjourning the case till December 10, 2026, for listening to.

Amatonjie approached the courtroom in search of an interpretation of Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, over Ogundu-Chinda’s defection from the PDP to the APC.

He needs the courtroom to find out whether or not a mixed interpretation of Sections 177(c) and 68 of the Constitution permits Ogundu-Chinda to be recognised as having validly defected to the APC as of May 9, 2026, when he was screened and declared the occasion’s governorship candidate.

Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, PDP counsel, Daudu, SAN, defined why his crew requested an adjournment.

He stated, “The reason for the adjournment is that we have filed an objection of jurisdiction, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear this matter, which we had filed since 29th of September. But it was only yesterday that we were served with his response to our objection in jurisdiction.

“And we are entitled to almost seven days to respond. So, we want to take our time, study what he has filed and file our response.”

On his half, the plaintiff, Samuel Amatonjie, defined that the purposes for the subpoenas have been a part of the steps taken to acquire paperwork he considers essential to his case.

He stated, “On the last adjourned date, preliminary objections were served on us and counter-affidavits.

“We are to respond to those preliminary objections and counter-affidavits.

“And as the defendants, they still needed time to make a reply to our own response.

“And also, on our part, we applied to the court, to my Lord, for a subpoena to be issued on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to produce certain documents, and also a subpoena to be issued on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Clerk to the National Assembly for them also to produce certain documents.

“The subpoena that was issued on them is simply for them to produce the answer of the National Assembly.”