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AKWA IBOM GUBER: Tribunal grants PDP access to inspect election materials

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Justice A. M Yakubu of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Uyo, Akwa Ibom has granted permission to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to inspect election materials used during the March 9 Governorship Election.

The Tribunal granted the permission on Thursday following a Motion filed by the PDP legal team led by Mr Godwill Umoh.

The tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to comply with the order of the court without further delay.

Umoh who spoke to newsmen after the Tribunal ruling said the goal of the plaintiff, which was to enforce INEC to grant the access, was achieved.

He said “What we did like I said, we could have gone ordinarily by written application through the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

”We could have done that through Notice Exparte, without giving the other side notice but because we needed to bring them, we always asked for fair level playing ground as some people normally say.

“Above all legitimately, if we are armed with this order of the court, it becomes much easier because if you look at the Law, if you make an application, INEC is supposed to supply all the information within seven days and if they don’t do that, it becomes criminal.

“We came to court to obtain the leave of the court to order INEC to allow us inspect the materials used for the governorship election on March 9.

“INEC is supposed be an umpire like they have done, they conducted election, so there is nothing to be afraid of providing all the information required by parties.’’

Umoh added that the inspection of the election materials would enable the PDP show how they won in the just concluded governorship election in Akwa Ibom.

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