As it braces up to conclude the delayed collation of results in Rivers State, a week and four days after the governorship elections held in the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) today got a breather to continue with the collation of results for the polls.

A Federal High Court in Abuja declined to grant an ex parte application for stay of action on the collation of results by INEC. The application was brought by the African Action Congress (AAC) to stop the collation of results for the March 9 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The AAC had approached the court seeking an order to stop the collation and announcement of results from 17 local government areas in the State which INEC claimed it had supervised.

The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the ex parte application brought before him by the AAC and its candidate, Awara Biokpomabo was such that the court cannot grant without hearing the other side.

Ekwo said “The orders as prayed in the ex parte are not such that can be granted without hearing from the order side”.

“I therefore make an order that the process be served on the other side for them to come to court to show cause why the prayer sought ought not to be granted”. “Therefore, the prayers on the ex parte motion are hereby refused,” he said