The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday explained that financial constraints occasioned by non-extra budgetary provision to meet staff overtime allowance especially on Saturday duty resulted in delay of the inspection and scanning of electoral materials used for the September 28, 2016 governorship election in Edo State.
Onyinye Anumonye, counsel to INEC made the disclosure at the ongoing adjudication on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate’s, Osagie Ize- Iyamu petition at the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal.
BusinessDay reports that the PDP candidate, Osagie Ize- Iyamu and his party PDP are challenging the declaration of Godwin Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress, candidate the winner of the governorship election.
Godwin Obaseki was declared winner with 319,483 votes by INEC to defeat his closest opponent the PDP candidate who scored 253, 173 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party had yesterday in an application prayed the court to vary its ordered made about three months on the inspection of electoral materials used for the conduct of the election by both parties on September 28, 2016. Anumonye while objecting to the application averred that his objection to the application was hinged on the financial constraint of the electoral umpire to work on Saturday.
‘’In urging the Lord to refuse the application and also in moving forward, the counter-affidavit filed we made out a case of hardship which the firs respondent (INEC) occasion particularly in respect to financial constraints in term of the part of the commission working overtime in view of the tenure of the prayers contained in the application.
‘’In their address (PDP) of citing cases the petitioner questioned if hardship will be a ground for refusal of such application? But our submission is that if any party occasioned hardship then my Lord will be duty bound to refuse the application. We urged our Lords to be persuaded by the submissions we have made in our written address’’, he averred.
Earlier Kemi Pinheiro, counsel to PDP told the court that INEC was conniving with the agents of APC and Governor Godwin Obaseki to frustrate the inspection and scanning of the electoral materials by the petitioners.
Pinheiro opined that the action of the respondents contravene the earlier tribunal ruling that ordered the petitioners and the respondents to jointly inspect the materials.
He also stated that since the court ordered on the inspection and scanning of electoral materials only one local government has been completed alleging that it was a ploy by INEC in connivance with APC and Governor Godwin Obaseki agents to deny its counsel accesses to evidence to prove its case in the court.
In his submission Ken Mozia (SAN) counsel to Governor Godwin Obaseki urged the tribunal to dismiss the application for alleged inconsistency by the petitioners.
Mozia argued that the petitioners had earlier expressed lack of confidence in the court when it say it was incompetence to entertain the petition.
He prayed the court to dismiss the application opining that a party that is not consistent to issue does not deserve court sympathy.
Rotimi Oguneso (SAN) counsel to APC urging the court to dismiss the application described it as the ‘’most unnecessary application he had ever seen’’.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Ahmed Badamasi however adjourned ruling on the application to today (January 10) as well as the full commencement of the substantive petition.
