Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Ado-Ekiti, has granted leave to the Governor-elect of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to inspect and obtain certified true copies of polling documents, ballot papers and other electoral materials used in the conduct of July 14 poll.
This was in response to the Motion Ex-parte filed by Fayemi’s counsel brought under section 151 of Electoral Act in the defence of the petition against his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the governorship election.
Counsel to the Governor-elect, who is the third respondent in the case, Mr. Abayomi Aliyu SAN, who listed eight grounds upon which the Motion Ex-parte should be granted, argued that such would enable his client to prepare for necessary defence in the course of the matter.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Babatunde Belgore, who reviewed all the reliefs sought by the third Respondent, held that the court found merit in the application and subsequently granted them in the interest of fair hearing.
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The tribunal also granted the Respondent prayer to allow forensic experts to inspect by the way of machine electronic scanning all ballot papers, voter registers and materials used for the poll.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the governorship election, Prof. Kolapo Olusola had submitted over seven hundred pages petition challenging INEC’s declaration of APC candidate, Fayemi, as the winner of the said election having polled the total number of lawful votes cast in the poll.