The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, tendered some electoral documents before the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The tendering of the documents before the tribunal was in response to the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the winner of the Kogi November 11, 2023 governorship election, Governor Usman Ododo Ahmed and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the petition, INEC, Ododo and APC are listed as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.
Counsel to the INEC, Uchenna Njoku, who held the brief for Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, tendered the documents before the three – man panel of justices led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu.
Some of the documents tendered by Njoku include INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of the Election; INEC Manuals for Electoral Officers and INEC Form EC8C.
Others include INEC Form EC8B; INEC Form EC8E; List of Accredited Agents for SDP; List of Accredited Ward Agents; Receipts of Payment for Forms, among others.
After the documents were tendered, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Birnin-Kudu admitted them in evidence and marked them as exhibits.
Njoku , then applied for an adjournment to enable the electoral umpire present its witnesses on the next adjourned date.
The tribunal then adjourned further hearing in the matter until April 16.
Earlier, Justice Birnin-Kudu, observed that the petition filed by SDP and Ajaka would elapse on May 29.
As a result, Birnin-Kudu said there was need to amend the number of days earlier given for the 2nd and 3rd respondents to present their case and for the filing of the final written addresses of the parties.
He, therefore, reduced the number the number of days to five instead of the earlier 10 days given for the respondents’ lawyers to present their case.
He assured that where five days would not be enough, the panel would not hesitate to give more days.
The Judge then solicited for the cooperation of all parties in the petition.
But APC’s counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, pleaded with the tribunal not to reduce the earlier days given to prepare their defence.
Ukala, who pledged the cooperation of the respondents in ensuring timely completion of their case, pleaded that the order on the schedule for hearing should not be amended.
J.B. Daudu SAN led the team of Gov. Ododo’s counsels.
The panel, however, clarified that the amendment to the order was done off record.
Recalled that SDP and Ajaka had, on April 5, closed their case after being able to call only 25 witnesses out of 400 they had earlier lined up.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
