- Petitioners to close case tomorrow
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given reasons for the delay in its release of copies of materials used in the last governorship election in Imo State to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The party and its candidate are, by a petition they filed at the Imo State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja, challenging the outcome of the November 11, 2023 election won by Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
INEC, through its lawyer, A. M. Aliyu (SAN), said the delay was caused by the failure of the petitioners to comply with the conditions stipulated in Section 253(2) of the Evidence Act and Order 20 Rule 10 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules.
Aliyu said INEC had provided the certified true copies (CTC) of the voters’ register in relation to seven out of the 27 local government areas (LGAs) in the state, adding that the petitioners had failed to pick them up at its Owerri office.
The lawyer also said the petitioners had failed to comply with the provision of the law for the transmission of the documents, as contained in the subpoena the tribunal issued.
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An INEC official, Nwankwo Onyinyechi, who was subpoenaed at the instance of the petitioners, corroborated Aliyu’s position.
Onyinyechi said: “We received a subpoena and the petitioners wrote a letter for the certified true copy of the voters’ register and other documents.
“After that, we had an understanding with them (petitioners) that they would liaise with a business centre that would photocopy the voters’ register; which they did.
“Following that understanding, they produced photocopies for seven LGAs, which the commission has certified.
“However, the petitioners asked the business centre to stop production until further notice.
“The voters’ register for the seven LGAs have been certified, but the petitioners have not come to pick them up. They are lying in our office in Owerri.
“We wrote a letter to the petitioners to come, but they have not come over.”
The petitioners’ lawyer, Johnson Usman (SAN), had accused INEC of failing to provide his clients with the materials used in the November 11, 2023 governorship election, including the voters’ register.