Edo poll: Tribunal grants PDP leave to serve APC by substituted means

The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Benin has granted the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Young Democratic Party(YDP), leave to serve their petitions by substituted service on the All Progressives Congress(APC).

The court processes are also to be served on Mr Godwin Obaseki, the governor-elect by substituted service. PDP and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie and YDP and its governorship candidate, Nurudeen Inwanfero, are challenging the outcome of the Sept. 28 Edo governorship election.

The petitioners in their separate petitions, named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC and Obaseki as first, second and third respondents respectively.

Justice A. Badamasi is chairman of the three- member tribunal, with Justices E.A. Ade Sodun, and Khadi Adamu Usman as members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tribunal had on Oct. 11, ordered INEC to allow PDP have unhindered access to all electoral materials used for the Sept. 28 governorship election. The order followed an ex-parte motion filed by PDP counsel, Mr Kingsley Obamogie.

But on Wednesday, both Obamogie and Mr Ugo Nwofor, counsel to YDP, in separate exparte motions, alleged that APC and Obaseki were evading service of court’s processes from the balliff.

They requested the tribunal to grant them leave to serve the respondents by substituted service, by pasting all the court processes on the wall or doors of the last known addresses of the respondents.

The tribunal chairman who granted the prayer, said it was in compliance with Section 47 of the Electoral Act 2010( as Amended).

INEC had declared Obaseki winner of the Sept. 28 governorship election having scored 319, 483 votes against Ize-Iyamu’s 253,173 votes