The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos, the Plateau state capital, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to furnish Senator Jeremiah Useni and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, all the relevant documents they need to support their petition filed before the tribunal.
This followed an oral application made by Senior Counsel to the petitioners, Edward Pwajok SAN.
Pwajok had informed the tribunal that the electoral umpire has so far failed to fully comply with its earlier order to make available to the petitioners Certified True Copies of “forms, voters registers and any other relevant documents the Applicants may request for the purpose of instituting and/or maintaining the Applicants Petition”.
Recall that the Tribunal Order was made on 1st April, 2019, and subsequently duly served on INEC.
The Petitioners’ Counsel however said that although they had paid INEC the sum of N4m “good money”, INEC was yet to allow his team full access to all the requested election documents; “this is very unfair, my lords.”
When the Tribunal Chairman, Justice H. A. Saleeman sought to know why INEC had only partially complied with its order, INEC Counsel Clement Onwuenwunor said rather that, “We are working on it. It is never our intention to deny the Petitioners access to documents validly in our custody.
“We assure the Honourable court that we will liaise with the Petitioners and comply accordingly.”
Justice Saleeman then countered that even if the electoral umpire is unable to allow access to the relevant documents, it must state so and explain it in writing to be brought to the notice of the Tribunal.
Meantime, Useni has forwarded to the Tribunal a fresh tranche of nine certified documents. These are: copies of results from various polling units in Mangu, Bokkos and Jos East Local Government Areas.
Respondents’ Counsel has indicated that they will make their objections on the documents in their final address before the judgement of the tribunal.
Tribunal Chairman, Justice Saleeman, received and coded the exhibits accordingly: P44A – P50A.
