By: Ifedayo Ogunyemi
The Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal has granted the request of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to inspect all the sensitive materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the governorship election in the state.
The request of the Ogun State chapter of the NNPP, which was filed in an ex-parte motion on Monday, March 20th, was granted by the tribunal on Friday in Abeokuta, the state capital.
A copy of the motion, which was made available to Nigerian Tribune on Monday, showed INEC, Governor Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as respondents. The motion was also supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed to by NNPP state chairman, Olaposi Oginni.
Recall that INEC declared Abiodun, a candidate of APC as winner of the March 18 governorship election contested by 13 political parties, excluding the NNPP.
The NNPP, Nigerian Tribune understands, is seeking an order of the tribunal to nullify the March 18 guber election following the omission of its name and logo on the ballot papers used for the same election, as prescribed by the Electoral Act.
Granting the prayers contained in the motion, Cairman of the tribunal, Justice Argum Ashom, said, in part, “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-exparte 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, pay 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 1 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.”
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