The
All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate during
the governorship election in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside, and other
petitioners at the State Election Petition Tribunal have boycotted the
inspection of election materials used in the last general election
in the state.
in the state.
Those
present at the planned inspection process were INEC’s Resident
Electoral Commissioner in the State, Dame Gesila Khan, the External
Solicitor, governor Nyesom Wike’s team of solicitors led by Dan Okoh
(SAN), his agents and the solicitor to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking with newsmen at the INEC Headquarters in Port Harcourt, the
external solicitor to the INEC Commissioner, Julius Mba, stated that
parties involved in the case had, in their meeting on September 1, 2015,
agreed to
participate in the inspection of the election materials slated for 9 am yesterday, and wondered why they shunned the exercise.
participate in the inspection of the election materials slated for 9 am yesterday, and wondered why they shunned the exercise.
He pointed out that the inspection of the materials
was in compliance with the order given by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on June 11, and re-affirmed by the same tribunal in a later sitting, that
INEC should allow the petitioners access to the materials.
was in compliance with the order given by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on June 11, and re-affirmed by the same tribunal in a later sitting, that
INEC should allow the petitioners access to the materials.
The INEC’s external solicitor said the petitioners had been allowed to inspect the materials in the
Commission’s obedience to the order of the tribunal by making available the documents.
Commission’s obedience to the order of the tribunal by making available the documents.
He said: “INEC in due compliance with the tribunal order of June 11, 2015, obeyed; but, the petitioners
are not available. It is our documents, we cannot inspect them; they are to inspect them.
are not available. It is our documents, we cannot inspect them; they are to inspect them.
“We are surprised that after agreeing in our meeting
yesterday, to meet by 9am today (Wednesday), to inspect the materials used in the April 11, 2015 election, none of the petitioners, their solicitors or
agents is present. We would not mind to stay throughout today or even tomorrow, to wait for them.”
yesterday, to meet by 9am today (Wednesday), to inspect the materials used in the April 11, 2015 election, none of the petitioners, their solicitors or
agents is present. We would not mind to stay throughout today or even tomorrow, to wait for them.”
“We,
the Commission, being entrusted to conduct the said election in
question, have played our role. We are not supporting any party. Our
position is clear; we are not taking side”, he said.
Reacting to the statement, counsel to APC, Henry
Odili, stated that INEC had denied them access to, “photocopy, inspect and scan all the materials” used for the election, as granted by the tribunal.
Odili, stated that INEC had denied them access to, “photocopy, inspect and scan all the materials” used for the election, as granted by the tribunal.
Odili said INEC refused to obey the first order by the tribunal and wondered why the Commission would be playing to the gallery.
In
the same vein, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chris Finebone
accused the INEC in Rivers State of violating the order of the
tribunal.
Finebone said, “We would like to urge INEC to quickly
regain its sense of reasoning and do the right thing without further
delay.
On his part, citing the ruling on the last application by
the petitioners, counsel to the PDP, Erastus Awortu maintained that the
tribunal never gave room for forensic inspection in its last ruling
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