Edo election tribunal orders substituted service on APC, Obaseki

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

PDP, and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and YDP and its governorship candidate, Nurudeen Inwanfero, in separate petitions, are challenging the outcome of the September 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 the chairman of the three-member tribunal. Other members are Justices E.A. Adesodun, and Khadi Adamu Usman.

The tribunal had few days ago ordered INEC to allow both parties have unhindered access to all electoral materials in the September 28 governorship election in Edo.

Yesterday, PDP counsel, Kingsley Obamogie and Ugo Nwofor, counsel to YDP, in separate ex parte motions, filed before the tribunal, alleged that APC and Obaseki were dodging the receipt of the service from the court’s bailiff.

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