Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has declined an ex-parte request by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from implementing his removal from office.
The judge instead directed Senator Anyanwu to notify INEC and other defendants in his suit to allow them to present their arguments in court.
Anyanwu had approached the court seeking an interim order to restrain INEC or its agents from acknowledging or acting on any correspondence or submissions from the PDP unless signed by him.
He also sought to prevent Ambassador Umar Damagun from sending any documents to INEC unless authorized by his signature.
In a brief ruling, Justice Ekwo acknowledged the urgency of the matter but declined to grant the requested reliefs through an ex-parte application.
He emphasized the importance of hearing from the defendants before making any decisions.
The court ordered Anyanwu to notify INEC and Damagun about the suit and serve them with the court processes. The case has been scheduled for a hearing on February 24.