According to a report from The Nation, Kwara State Government and the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) have objected to a motion by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of being in contempt of an order made by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The PDP claimed, in the motion filed by its lawyer, Ademola Abimbola that the KWASIEC was in disobedience of an interim order made on July 29 by Justice Peter Lifu, restraining parties from taking any step pending the determination of a suit filed by the PDP against plans to conduct local government election in Kwara State on September 21.

In their response, Kwara State Government and KWASIEC denied the allegations and argued among others, that the motion was "incurably defective, fatally incompetent and maliciously filed".

They prayed the court to dismiss it, as it constituted a distraction.

Arguing the motion yesterday, Abimbola alleged that the KWASIEC, through a letter dated August 28, addressed to the state’s chairman of the PDP, invited the party to a peace meeting despite the pendency of the court’s order restraining parties from taking any step, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The PDP lawyer argued that such act constituted contempt of court, which should be penalised.

Lawyer to the Kwara State Government and KWASIEC, Johnson Usman (SAN), argued that the electoral body was not in contempt of court as claimed by the PDP.

Usman contended that the pendency of a case should not prevent KWASIEC from fostering peace.

He faulted the competence of the motion by the PDP, which he argued, was neither personally served on the alleged contemnor nor served on it through substituted means.

Usman, who also queried the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case, noted that the allegation was based on an order that his clients had already applied to be set aside.

Justice Lifu adjourned till September 17 for ruling.

In the substantive suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1061/2024, PDP is contending among others, that the KWASIEC was in grievous contravention, breach and violation of sections 9, 28, 29 and 106 of the Electoral Act 2022, Sections 20 (1) and 21 (1) of Kwara State Local Government Electoral (Amendment) Law, 2024.

PDP claimed that all the conditions and precedents stipulated in Local Government Electoral laws in Kwara State were allegedly deliberately ignored by KWASIEC under unacceptable circumstances.

It alleged that KWSIEC had applied to INEC for the register of voters in Kwara to use the same in the conduct of the local government polls.

The party said the action was in breach and violation of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Kwara State Local Government Electoral (Amendment) Law, 2024.