Tribunal To Fayose: you have access to election materials

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday granted the Peoples Democratic Party and the Governor elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the relief to inspect all materials used for the conduct of the June 21 Governorship election in Ekiti State.

The three-man Tribunal, led by Justice Mohammad Sirajo, had earlier granted the same to the petitioner, All Progressives Congress.

The APC in a petition deposed to by its Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, is contesting the declaration of Mr. Fayose as the winner of the governorship poll in the state, alleging that the election was rigged via technological programming it termed photo chromic and thermo chromic electronic device.

The PDP in its ex parte motion dated July 25, 2014, deposed to by its counsel, Barr. Kolapo Kolade, and brought pursuant to Section 151 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended, sought the relief of the tribunal for the inspection of all materials used for the conduct of the election.

Other reliefs sought by the party include an order allowing other interested party to enjoy same privilege, an order compelling security agencies to be present at the point of inspection and an order allowing the 1st respondent to be in possession of Certified True Copies of all electoral materials and scan same .

The motion, according to the counsel to the respondent, was supported by 11-paragraph affidavit and a written address.

Kolapo hinted that the motion became imperative “in view of the serious allegation made by the petitioner to the effect that the ballot papers used for the election were programmed in favour of the 1st and 2nd respondents.

“In order to defend our position, we need to inspect the materials and we need the leave of the Court to do so unless the INEC will not allow us”.

In his ruling, Justice Sirajo granted the party the leave to inspect the materials and for other interested party to enjoy same, just as

he directed that the Independent National Electoral Commission must allow the party access to CTC and get same in other forms.

But Justice Sirajo declined the leave directing the security agencies to be present during the inspection, saying “such order is not within

the purview of this tribunal since it is the duty of INEC to provide same during such exercise. So no order of tribunal is needed for this”.