INEC Bows To Pressure, Grants NNPP Access To Inspect Ogun Election Materials

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has been granted access to all election materials used during the just concluded governorship and house of assembly elections in Ogun State.

Naija News understands that the NNPP had earlier approached the Governorship and House of Assembly Petition Tribunal over the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include its name in the ballot papers used for the election.

The tribunal had granted the request a few days ago, prompting the electoral commission to release the election materials to the NNPP counsels, Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo and Izunya Isaac Dale, for inspection but INEC refused to act accordingly.

However, the electoral body has now complied with the directive of the Tribunal, allowing the party to photocopy, scan, pay for and obtain certified true copies of all the documents used in the conduct of the governorship election, Naija News learnt.

Before now, the National Secretary of the NNPP, Dipo Olayoku, through a letter dated 24th March 2023 informed the office of Izunya Izunya & Co to be the lead Counsel in any petition concerning the 18th March elections.

The reads: “Take this as instructions to lead Izunya Isaac Dale to file petitions on behalf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Governorship and State Assembly Elections holding at Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

“The petitions are to challenge the outcome of Governorship and State Assembly Elections conducted on the 18th March, 2023”.

Subsequently, NNPP approached the Tribunal, and three Judges of the election tribunal granted its request to inspect, photocopy, scan and record all sensitive materials used by INEC.

The three judges, namely; Justice Arum Igyem Ashom, Justice Eno Ikpi Ebri, and Justice Khadi Ibrahim Ya’u, unanimously agreed in their ruling on the exparte motion brought by the counsels of NNPP to allow the party inspects the INEC’s materials.

After the judges unanimously agreed in their ruling on the exparte motion brought by the counsels to NNPP to allow the party inspects the INEC’s materials, the lead party Counsel, Izunya Isaac Dale, approached the INEC through a letter dated 5th April 2023.

NNPP Letter To Ogun INEC REC

In the same development, the Ogun State NNPP wrote the State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC asking to inspect and obtain certified thorough copies of electoral materials used in the conduct of the Ogun State Governorship Election.

The letter reads: “We are solicitors to New Nigeria Peoples Party (hereinafter referred to as our client) and on its behalf we write. A copy of our letter of authority is hereby attached for your kind consideration.

“We wish to bring to your notice that our client was graciously granted an order by the Governorship Election Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, on the 24 day of March. 2023 to inspect and obtain CTC of electoral materials used in the conduction of Ogun State Governorship election. The said order is hereby attached for your kind consideration.

“Pursuant to the above order we hereby apply for certified through copies of the following documents:
All INEC results in sheets-form ECB Series; EC8 A, EC8B, ECBC, EC8D and EC8E; Certificate of return of the 2 respondents; Copies of Ballot papers used in the election.”

INEC consequently yielded to the party’s request on Thursday, Naija News reports.