Election tribunal grants Delta LP, Pela access to INEC materials
Deacon Ken Pela
Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State capital, has granted Labour Party (LP) and its governorship candidate, Deacon Ken Kawhariebie Pela, leave to inspect all Independent National Election Commission (INEC)’s election materials pertaining to the conduct of governorship election on March 18, 2023 in the state.
This was in response to an ex parte motion filed on behalf of LP and its candidate by N.I. Nzeobi Esq., and dated March 23, 2023 in Petition No: EPT/DL/GOV/02M/2023.
Joined in the petition are INEC, the Governor-elect of the state, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a Certified True Copy, signed by the Chairman of the Election Petition Tribunal, C.H. Ahuchagu, the tribunal held: “In line with Section 146 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the tribunal hereby grants an order directing the first respondent (INEC) to forthwith allow the applicants and their representatives to inspect polling documents and obtain Certified True Copies of all polling documents in the custody of the first respondent, used for the just-concluded governorship election held on March 18, 2023, to enable the applicants institute and maintain an election petition.”
Recall that Delta LP and its governorship candidate, Pela, rejected the outcome of the governorship election, saying INEC was wrong to have declared Oborevwori winner, saying it is a stolen mandate that the electoral umpire handed over to the PDP and its candidate.
They added: “This particular election will be recorded in the annals of our history as the most duplicitous, phony and treacherous election ever carried out in Nigeria by INEC.
“INEC did not only fail to live up to its billing during the presidential elections on February 25, but their attitude during and after that election also set the stage for the brazen level of unfairness, injustice, disenfranchisement, impunity and disregard for the rule of law that characterised the governorship and House of Assembly elections on March 18, as exemplified by INEC.”
