The Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal has granted the request of the New Nigeria Peoples Party to inspect all the sensitive materials including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines used during the governorship election in the state.
The motion ex-parte which was filed on Monday, March 20,2023, was decided on last Friday and a copy, which was obtained by our correspondent on Monday (today), showed that the NNPP was an applicant while INEC, Abiodun and APC were respondents.
The tribunal granted all the prayers of the state chapter of the NNPP in the motion ex-parte filed at the Isabo court in Abeokuta.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, of the All Progressives Congress winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Thirteen political parties, including the NNPP, participated in the governorship election in the state.
The motion ex-parte was supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the state chairman of the party, Olaposi Oginni.
The NNPP had complained that INEC didn’t print the name of the party on the logo on the governorship ballots as prescribed by the Electoral Act
The party, however, headed to the tribunal asking to be allowed to make photocopies, scan and record all sensitive materials used by INEC in the just-concluded governorship election in the state ahead of its petition.
The party said that it would pray for the nullification of the 2023 election in the state for omitting its name and logo on the ballots.
Granting the prayers, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Argum Ashom, agreed with the NNPP on the prayers.
He said, “That materials constituting this ex-parte application, particularly the reliefs, the grounds and supporting affidavit all boil down to the fact that the applicant desires to challenge the elections conducted by the 1st respondents on the 18/3/2023.
“An order granting leave to the application to move this motion ex-parte before the pre-hearing session of this honourable tribunal.
“An order respondent to forthwith grant access to the applicants and their Solicitors, agents, experts and other staff to inspect, photocopy, scan, paid for and obtain certified true copies of all documents used by the 1st respondent for the conduct of the Ogun State governorship election held on the 18 of March, 2023 for the purpose of instituting and maintaining an Election Petition; the said documents which are in the custody of the 1st respondent, and as contained in the schedule attached to the affidavit in support of this application.
“An order directing the 1st respondent to promptly abide by the orders of this Tribunal made in terms of this ex-parte application. And for such other order(s) as the honourable tribunal may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
“That materials constituting this ex-parte application, particularly the reliefs, the grounds and supporting affidavit all boils down to the fact that the applicant desires to challenge the elections conducted by the 1 Respondents on the 18/3/2023.
“That in that effect the reliefs are granted as prayed.”
