A Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, has restrained the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressive Congress, APC, from submitting the list of party candidates of  Delta State for the 2019 elections to the Independence National Electoral Council, INEC.

In the ruling by Justice Toyin Adegoke, all parties to the suit were ordered to maintain status quo and desist from submitting any list of candidates to INEC until the substantive suit was heard.

APC is the respondent in the suit, while the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, was joined as second respondent.  INEC and Prophet Jones Erue are the third and fourth respondents.

The Chief Cyril Ogodo-led Delta APC State Working Committee (SWC) and others had instituted an interlocutory injunction restraining APC and Oshiomhole from submitting the list of candidates from Prophet Jones Erue’s faction to INEC.

In her ruling, Justice Adegoke said, “This matter shall be given an accelerated hearing owing to the fact that it is a pre-election matter. All defendants are to take note of the tendencies of this suit.

“Parties shall maintain status quo as at today, the 17th day of November, 2018. That is the order of this court.”

Counsel to the applicants, Barr. O.J. Oghenejakpor, said the implication was that, “As at today, no list of candidates can be submitted to INEC and none will be submitted until we hear this case.”

Meanwhile, counsel to the first and second respondents, Barr. George Onaho, who had challenged the jurisdiction of the court, said the needful had been done.