Tribunal grants order to inspect election materials

The Election Petition Tribunal in Cross River State has granted the House of Representatives candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Obubra/Etung constituency, Innocent Ovat, permission to inspect the Smart Card Readers used in each polling unit.

Ovat, a lawyer, represented himself in court. His petition has himself as the first petitioner and the ADC as the second. Mr Mike Etaba, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and INEC were first, second and third respondents respectively.

The order, which followed a motion ex-parte, also compelled and directed the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), to forthwith produce, provide and release to the petitioners, for their own use in this petition, certified true copies of the printout of accredited/verified voters of each polling unit as recorded by the smart card readers deployed in the election, to the House of Representatives candidate for Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency.

Other materials which the tribunal ordered INEC to release to the petitioner include the Certified True Copies of Form EC 8A of all the polling units/voting points in Etung and Obubra council.

Tribunal chairman Justice Vincent Agbata, who read the order on behalf of the three-man panel, said the petitioners will have access to the inspection and the materials as ordered in the presence of the tribunal secretary.

Ovat, who addressed reporters afterwards, said he had written to INEC and held meetings with the REC, requesting to have access to the materials to no avail.

The matter was adjourned for pre-hearing which will be communicated to the parties.

Senatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for Cross River Central Solomon Idor Esor withdrew his petition. He was challenging the exclusion of his party logo in the ballot paper.

Esor’s lawyer, Joseph Oloko, said though his client was unlawfully excluded from the elections, and had petitioned in line with constitutional provisions, had considered that he would be engaged with other activities outside the country, hence requested that his petition be withdrawn.