Osun Election: Tribunal Grants PDP Leave To Inspect Election Materials

The newly constructed Osun Election Petition Tribunal Monday granted an Exparte Applications brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to inspect election materials used for the September 22 gubernatorial election and the rerun election of September 27.

The two applications premised on the order of the court to serve the petitions and other processes on the second and third respondent respectively on substituted means and to also move the application before the pre-hearing section.

PDP had dragged the ruling All Progressives Congress APC and it’s candidate at the election, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola to the tribunal over their declaration as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.

Justice Peter Obiora, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Muhammad Siraju, said the tribunal was satisfied with the report of services and there was merit in the application .

Obiora said the essence of granting the applications was to bring proceedings to the attention and notices of the respondents in the substantive suit before the tribunal.

Speaking on the mode of operation of the tribunal, Obiora said the tribunal would do justice in its proceedings without any form of bias.

A 12 – paragraph affidavit and a written address in support with the affidavit was attached with the exparte motion brought by the Applicant Counsel.

The Applicant lead Counsel, Mr Nathaniel Oke, told newsmen after the sitting  that the two applications was to allow them serve the second respondent (Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola) and third respondents (APC) which had not been successfully served.

Oke said “The second application was to sort the leave of the tribunal for the purpose of taking certified true copies of the materials used for the election in Sept. 22 and the rerun of Sept. 27 which would be useful as the tribunal continue sitting.

“The Court granted the two applications but with a rider to allow two observers from the other respondents to serve as mere watchers  or lookers when inspecting the election materials,” he said.

The second application prayed for four reliefs among which was to access , inspect all ballot papers in the custody of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) or any other persons.

Justice Obiora, however, ordered that two persons each from the respondents would be allowed to serve as mere observers during the inspection by the PDP counsels .