Tribunal Orders INEC To Grant Labour Party Access To PDP Nomination Forms Of Ikpeazu’s Aide, Others

The Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal in Abia State has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to avail the Labour Party all forms submitted by the PDP in respect of the party’s governorship and deputy governorship Nominations ahead of the Abia gubernatorial elections....CONTINUE READING

The forms include those submitted by the former Chief Of Staff to the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Okechukwu Ahaiwe, who contested the March 18 governorship election alongside his running mate on the PDP platform…..CONTINUE READING

The tribunal had earlier ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant the Peoples Democratic Party access to all the materials used to conduct the March 18 governorship election in the state.

But the Labour party also filed an exparte motion against the PDP and INEC with a view to obtaining all electoral documents it needs to prove its candidate, Alex Otti won the election.

The LP lawyer, Anayo Nwakodo, argued that granting the party reliefs will help the legal team defend their case.

After hearing him, the court granted the claimant’s prayers.

Part of the orders includes that INEC must also cooperate with the Labour party to enable it to inspect and take record of information captured in all the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS machine and certified true copies of election materials used for the governorship poll in the state.

Part of the order reads: “An order directing the respondents (INEC) to cooperate with the applicant and or their counsel as well as the forensic expert at the said inspection and taking record of the information recorded in all the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System as well as the issuance of the Certified True Copies of the said electoral/polling documents (including but not limited to all the Forms EC8 series, Forms EC40, Ballot papers, Voter’s Registrar and BVAS Report) used for the government election held in Abia state on the 18th of March, 2023.

” An order directing the respondent(INEC) to issue to the applicant (Labour party) CTC of all INEC nomination forms filed and submitted by the PDP in respect of all Governorship and Deputy Governorship nominations made by the PDP for the period commencing from the nomination of late Prof. Uche Eliaza Ikonne and his deputy upto the nomination of Okey Ahiwe and his deputy including official correspondent between the PDP and INEC on the nomination of PDP’s Abia deputy Governorship candidate nomination upto the 18th day of March, 2023.

“An order granting leave to the applicant to deliver the said electoral/polling documents, when procured upon the grant of this humble application, to forensic expert for analysis and production of a report in respect thereof to be used in the defence of the intended petition.”

Recall that the INEC had declared the Labour Party’s Governorship candidate, Alex Otti winner of the poll, saying he won with 175,460 votes.

The People Democratic Party’s Okechukwu Ahaiwe came second with 88,529 votes and had vowed to legally challenge the results declared by INEC…..CONTINUE READING