By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Few days after Ogun State Governorship and House of Assembly elections Petition Tribunal granted prayers of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to have access to all election materials used for the conduct of the March 18th elections, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has complied with the directive.
Complying with the directive, INEC on Thursday gave access to the lead counsel for the NNPP and the party gubernatorial candidate, Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo in the state, Barrister Izunya Isaac Dale of Izunya Izunya to inspect, scan photocopy, pay for, and obtain certified true copies of all the documents used in the conduct of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
The NNPP lead Counsel, Izunya Isaac Dale upon the tribunal ruling approached INEC through a letter dated 5th April, 2023. addressed to the Ogun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the letter titled “Application to inspect and obtain certified through copies of electoral materials used in the conduct of Ogun State Governorship Election reads, Barrister Isaac Dale stressed “We are solicitors to New Nigeria Peoples Party (hereinafter referred to as our client) and on its behalf we write. A copy of our letter of authority is hereby attached for your kind consideration.
“We wish to bring to your notice that our client was graciously granted an order by the Governorship Election Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, on the 24 day of March. 2023 to inspect and obtain CTC of electoral materials used in the conduction of Ogun State Governorship election. The said order is hereby attached for your kind consideration”, he said.
The lead Counsel, added “Pursuant to the above order we hereby apply for certified through copies of the following documents:
All INEC results sheets-form ECB Series; EC8 A, EC8B, ECBC, EC8D and EC8E; Certificate of return of the 2 respondent; Copies of Ballot papers used in the election”.
” Consequent, upon this letter, the INEC on Thursday yielded to the request and allowed the lead Counsel, Izunya Isaac Dale to inspect all the materials and made photocopy of all materials requested for.”
New Nigerian recalled that NNPP in a letter through its National Secretary, Dipo Olayoku informed the office of Izunya Izunya & Co to be the lead Counsel in any petition concerning the 18th March elections.
NNPP in the letter dated 24th March, 2023, titled : ‘Letter of instructions to file petitions at the Governorship and State Assembly Elections Tribunal, Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State’ reads: “Take this as instructions to lead Izunya Isaac Dale to file petitions on behalf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Governorship and State Assembly Elections holding at Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
“The petitions are to challenge the outcome of Governorship and State Assembly Elections conducted on the 18th March, 2023”.
Following this, the Ogun state chapter of the NNPP approached the Tribunal, and three Judges of the election tribunal, however, granted NNPP’s request to inspect, photocopy, scan and record all sensitive materials used by INEC.
The three judges namely; Justice Arum Igyem Ashom, Justice Eno Ikpi Ebri, and Justice Khadi Ibrahim Ya’u unanimously agreed in their ruling on the exparte motion brought by the counsels of NNPP to allow the party inspects the INEC’s materials.
