Politics
Tribunal grants SDP access to Kogi governorship election materials
The Kogi State governorship election petition tribunal on Saturday gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 48 hours to issue certified copies of materials used for the November 11 election in the state to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
It also ordered INEC to allow SDP’s forensic experts to examine some electoral materials in the state.
The materials include the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets for Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi, and Bassa local government areas of the state.
The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, gave the order following two ex-parte motions filed on November 19 by the SDP and by its governorship candidate, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka.
Justice Birnin-Kudu said the orders became imperative due to the tribunal’s limited time to discharge its mandate.
READ ALSO: PDP rejects Kogi governorship election result, hints at going to court
The SDP and Yakubu-Ajaka are challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, in the election.
INEC declared Ododo as the winner of the election with 446,237 votes, while Yakubu-Ajaka got 259,052 votes to finish in second place.
He said: “The order is in compliance with Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) and with the Electoral Act (2022).
“INEC is hereby ordered to produce all the documents sought by the plaintiffs within 48 hours to enable proceedings to go smoothly and without hitches.”
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