The Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja has granted the Counsels to the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the just concluded governorship election Muritala Ajaka, access to election materials.
The court, compelled the first respondent in the petition, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow access to materials and all document used in the conduct of the November 11th gubernatorial election in the State.
The order followed an application filed by S.E Aruwa, expressing the inability to access documents, mainly 42 items used in the conduct of the election to proceed with his case.
Aruwa stated that all efforts to access such documents both at the INEC office in Abuja and in Lokoja had proven abortive, hence the need for an order of the Tribunal to proceed with the case.
The Presiding Tribunal Judge, Justice Yusuf Ado Birnin-Kudu said the application is meritorious in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and the Electoral Law 2023.
He granted the application that the first respondent INEC, allow access by Counsels to Ajaka of the SDP led by John Adele and Aruwa to certified copies used for the governorship election within two days.
The chairman of the tribunal granted the prayers of Adele to the effect of compelling INEC to also within 48 hours allow access to BVAS and other electronic materials used.
Speaking after the ruling, lead Counsel to Ajaka and SDP, Adele expressed optimism that INEC will comply with the ruling of the Tribunal.
Recall that INEC had declared Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress, winner of the election with 446,237 votes, defeating Murtala Ajaka of the SDP, who came second with 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 46,362 votes.
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