The election petition tribunal for the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release all the materials used for the election.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice W.I. Kpochi, granted the order in an exparte motion filed by the candidate of the party, Asue Ighodalo, and the party.
The exparte motion with suit number EPT/ED/GOV/01M/2024 and dated September 27, 2024, was filed by Rotimi O. Ogunseso, SAN, with Seun Olusuyi’s counsel to the applicants.
The petition and affidavit were sworn to by Osasere Adagbonyin.
Secretary of the tribunal Mauzu Ibrahim Bagudu ordered INEC to produce all election materials.
In the petition, the applicants prayed the court to order INEC to produce and hand over the comprehensive list of all the Electoral materials available in its custody for inspections.
The documents listed by the applicants and granted by the tribunal are all forms EC8A, forms EC8B, forms EC8C, forms EC8D, forms EC8E, forms EC25B, and forms EC25B(i) used at the election.
Also granted are all forms EC40A, EC40C, EC40G and EC40G (i) used at the gubernatorial election
The court also ordered INEC to make all the polling unit Results, Forms EC8A uploaded to its IREV portal from the poling unit, list of accredited agents of all the political parties that participated in the gubernatorial election.
The tribunal ordered INEC to produce and make available to the applicants’ records and a list of polling units where election results were not uploaded to the INEC IREV portal as of 22nd September 2024 when the results of the election and return of winners were announced.
It also directed that records of the posting of INEC ad-hoc staff for the 4519 polling units, the number of Permanent Voters Cards, and PVCs collected in each polling unit should be made available to the applicants.
Meanwhile, the PDP has served INEC the certified true copy of the tribunal’s order.
