By Oyibo Salihu
Lokoja
Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja has granted approval for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to inspect electoral materials used in the conduct of the recently concluded governorship election in the state.
Chairman of the three-member tribunal panel, Justice Halima Mohammed flanked by Justice Patricia Ajoku and Justice Ogbogo Ejembi granted the ex-parte motion at the first sitting of the tribunal.
She also issued a ‘consequential’ order that all the respondents in the petition be served the tribunal’s order for them to be present during the inspection at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Lokoja.
Chief Chris Uche (SAN), leading two other senior advocates and about 10 Legal Practitioners for the PDP had sought in the application filed on January 9, an order of the tribunal to inspect materials used in the conduct of the governorship election in the custody of INEC.
Uche said the motion supported by a 17-paragraph affidavit and deposed to by one S.M. John-Mark was in line with section 151 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as Amended).
The petition filed by the incumbent governor and PDP’s flag bearer in the governorship election, Capt. Idris Wada, has the All Progressives Congress (APC), INEC and Alhaji Yahaya Bello as respondents.
The tribunal also granted six ex-parte motions for substituted service of petitions and other court processes on the Kogi governor-elect, who is a respondent in all the petitions.
In their separate motions seeking the leave of the tribunal, Uche of PDP, Jibrin Okwutepa (SAN), APC; Reuben Egwaba, Labour Party (LP) and I.K. Idota of Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA) sought an order of the tribunal for substituted service on the governor-elect.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) lawyers also sought the tribunal’s order to serve the petitions and other court processes at Yahaya Bello’s last known address, the APC Secretariat or the Notice Board of the tribunal. The tribunal adjourned to January 21.