Election Tribunal Order INEC To Allow Parties Inspect Election Materials

 The national assembly and statehouses of assembly election tribunal sitting in Lagos has granted a motion exparte allowing the petitioners, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and their candidate Olusola Taiwo Moses Babatope, the right to inspect the materials used in the Lagos East Senatorial election which took place on 5th December 2020.

In granting the motion, the tribunal upheld the prayer of the petitioners in the motion.

In the ruling which was delivered by the chairman tribunal Justice Bassey Ikpeme, they acknowledge the importance of the inspection must especially as contain in section 151 of the electoral act.

‘The tribunal is satisfied that the inspection of the election materials is required for the determination of the matter at hand. This tribunal hereby grants the request of the petitioners’.

Justice Ikpeme also asks the petitioners to speed up their inspections as the tribunal is time-bound and they will work hard to ensure that they keep to the time and the date given to them by law.

He also fixes the 16th of February 2021 for pre-hearing having been satisfied that all parties in the matter have been fully served.

Earlier, counsel to the petitioners Mr. Ayomide Oluwafemi had moved the motion seeking to inspect the election materials used for the December 5th election.

The election tribunal has three members with Hon. Justice Bassey Ikpeme as chairman while Hon. Justice Mohammed L. Abubakar and Hon. Justice M.M. Odanya are members