The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been permanently barred from working with the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, headed by Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, to distribute personnel and election materials in 2023. The ruling was made by Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke in the lawsuit FHC/L/CS/271/2023 brought by three political parties and their candidates for governor of Lagos State.
The Labour Party (LP) and its candidate for governor, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Funsho Doherty, the Boot Party and its candidate for governor, Wale Olumo, are the plaintiffs/applicants, and INEC is the defendant/respondent. The plaintiffs/applicants sought to halt a partnership between INEC and the Lagos State Parks Management Committee on the grounds that it, among other things, broke the Electoral Act of 2022's Sections 26 and 27.
The agreement allegedly "would give room for election sabotage, manipulation, and rigging in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC)," among other things. The claimant asked for five remedies. Despite receiving notice of the lawsuit, INEC did not respond to it and was not represented by an attorney. On February 20, Justice Aneke issued a temporary injunction preventing INEC from finalizing the transaction. Five of the plaintiffs received relief from the judge in the decision he made on Friday.
In her ruling, Justice Aneke stated: "For the avoidance of doubt, the said relief 5 is hereby set forth as follows: "AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining INEC and/or their privies or any persons acting under their directions from contracting, partnering with, or appointing Musiliu Akinsanya, commonly known as MC Oluomo, the Lagos State Parks Management Committee or any of its members and/or drivers by.