₦airaland Forum

The Edo Elections tribunal sitting in Benin City has ruled that the PDP and its governorship candidate in last september’s governorship polls in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, can call subpoeanaed witnesses besides those of the party to testify for it.

Justice Ahmed Badamasi chairman of the 3-member tribunal who gave the nod to the party on Wednesday, will tomorrow, also rule on the application by the petitioners for a recounting of the INEC ballot papers used in the elections and now before it as exhibits.

The court ruling on the recount becomes necessary as both INEC, Mr Godwin Obaseki and APC are objecting to the application for the recounting by the petitioners, contrary to the earlier positions they held on Tuesday when the exhibits got to the tribunal.

The petitioners are challenging the declaration by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) of Mr Godwin Obaseki as winner of the election and named the INEC, Obaseki and the APC as first, second and third respondents respectively in their petition.

INEC had declared Obaseki winner of the Edo governorship election saying he polled more than 319,483 votes to defeat Ize-Iyamu, his closest rival, who it said scored over 250,000 votes.

Counsel to INEC who based his objection to the application for recounting on paragraph 47(1) of the electoral act and also 218-219 of the evidence act got the support of counsels to Obaseki and that of the APC.

However, responding, Yusuf Ali (SAN) counsel to the PDP, described as, ‘acrobatic summersaulting’, the submissions of the respondents.

Ali (SAN) told the court why the documents needed to be recounted, when he said, “I apply to your lordship that the ballot papers from these LGAS be recounted, in order to ally the fears of all parties about the ballot papers”.

He said that the arguments from all the respondents particularly that of counsel to governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr Ken Mozai, (SAN) were not only inappropriate and irrelevant but inapplicable.

He added that this is because Obaseki, doesn’t have any locus standi to oppose the application after initially approving the same application, adding that the only grounds on which they can object is if they think that the documents have been tampered with.

He argued that, “This application ought not to be opposed by anybody who has nothing to hide. A case like this at the tribunal is a trial of democracy and our electoral process”.

He said, “This is not the kind of case we should be playing hide and seek;am so disappointed that INEC whose documents were subpoeanae to court, who ought to be spearheading this application is opposing. How can INEC object that their own documents can’t be recounted? It is worrisome”.

“In addition, that representatives should come from interested counsels, 2 officials of INEC and secretary to the tribunal to as a matter of urgency immediately commence the recounting of ballot papers and that after the counting a comprehensive schedule should be made to show the results of all parties to be brought to your lordship and the entire world to see”.

Meanwhile ahead of the ruling on the recounting by the tribunal, Ali (SAN) has requested that the court beef up security in and around the tribunal premises, to secure the ballot papers which have become very sensitive materials.

http://www.urhokpotareporters.com/2017/02/08/tribunal-rules-in-favour-of-pdp-allows-subpoeanaed-witnesses-to-testify/

Supporting information for those still doubting what happened in Edo 2016 election. International observers views..
http://breaking.com.ng/nigeria/international-observers-say-edo-guber-poll-results-were-doctored/&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwjsza-P8YDSAhXBOxQKHZOuBM8QFggqMAc&usg=AFQjCNELYHDn8WbEhqsJ7Jn6vOtjn_LoGw

Modified

In deed, Buhari is really fighting corruption.

kITATITA:
If your driver's license is going through the renewal process, FRSC would normally give you a temporary slip. You can even check the validity of your driver's license on the FRSC website. If you procure your license without going to the FRSC and having your biometrics captured, it is fake. It doesn't matter if you can drive well.

Sorry to say that you guys still operate an analog system. I logged into your site, filled, printed and went to FCMB to pay for renewal, only to get to your capturing centre and the guy there told me that my DL is a fake one.
A DL that was issued to me in 2010, got expired in 2013, a renewal was done, from 2013 to 2016, and same DL number.

That the money l have paid is gone, that l wasn't suppose to have gone for renewal since the DL is fake. That l should go for a new DL and pay another =N=6,350 for afresh. The way the guy was saying it without empathy got me angry the more.

On enquiry, l finally concluded that;

1) FRSC is still operating a semi digital system, if on the contrary, why would the site allow me to still log on and fill the form for renewal with the same DL number they now claim is a fake one.

2) FRSC transfers their error of omission of ones DL number on the system to the DL holder.

3) The way and manner they tell you that the money you paid for the renewal that is in FRSC's collection account with the bank is gone, shows there is a conspiracy within the Corps for some DL numbers to be excluded so that the holders will process it afresh.

4) They see anyone that had processed his/her DL on the system by himself and had come for capturing as an enemy of progress as no cash would come from such person. And the kind of treatment they give such person at the capturing centre says it all.

FRSC should brace up and do their work diligently and stop adding more hardship to the already struggling commuters.

dammytosh:
Very typical.

No intelligent contribution. How about stepping forward with facts ?

Write nonsense and paint it red may be that will force sense out of it.

Have we seen the facts about what your headless president said about technical defeat? This government is already a failure and nothing you can do about that.

First impression is always the last impression.

Overnight pencil factory setup. This government has always been the joker of all time.

That is a typical Igbo man. He is always a goal getter. You earn the respect of an Igbo man if you deserve it.

Okoromalam rejected his brothers in Nigeria, and got the reward in the diaspora.

In a decent society, Buhari is supposed to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for moving to recover funds he exonerated the culprit.

GMB is the least person to govern this nation.

bdemix:
God bless our President

May the kind of change that Buhari and his cronies are giving Nigeria remain your portion for life IJN.[color=#990000][/color]

No wonder they cheerfully collect =N=50 on the road every now and then.

ziccoit:
Obj spent 8 YEARS not 8 MONTHS. You guys and the SINator that refused to make NTA a world class broadcasting industry want Buhari to achieve in 8 MONTHS what PDP accomplish in 16 YEARS.


Bros, who is now a jambite? If I may borrow your opening sentence.

What we are requesting is blue print and not delivering within 8 months. Tell us WHERE and HOW you will achieve your targeted goal. Not when you are heading to Warri from Ore and you are telling Nigerians you will get to Lagos before nightfall.

The simplest of the blue print "Simple budget" which is just a mere projection that is not absolute. Buhari and APC have set the record of the worst manipulated and incoherent budget in Africa. And yet, your like think we should give him more time of indecisive period to finish Nigeria.

Why have the christians complaining of Nigeria's alliance with Islamic nations(ie towards Islamizing Nigeria) in the fight against terrorism, not been able to fight the boko haram in the NE, or the militancy in the SS.

As for those students(especially those blind saibuharists) that can't pay their school fees abroad, they should just kponkpi there, when we were telling them the real Buhari we know, they never cared to listen.

Indeed we have a jihadist as president.

Buhari's incompetence is contagious, and any technocrat connected to Buhari is bound to fail. The incompetent gene in Buhari is very domineering.

But OBJ, na you dey talk this one?

Does it matter the Publisher, or the authenticity of the publication?

Meanwhile, Jane go and marry, u don dey tey for Nairaland. Guys hate girls that argue a lot with passion.

Its only the gullible ones that did not understand that Sanusi is a jihadist and a cheat when he was the CBN boss.

This governor is always a pacesetter. What Nigeria need to move forward is experienced capitalists and not experienced politicians.

Anambra adigo mma.

Mimido2:
Hmmmmmm......God can help him but he has to help himself first. what Will dat peanut do u? ***enlargement all d way***

Yea by sticking to the real man he fell in love with and not the planned enlarged d**k. Maybe an artificial one, say vibrator etc that has no medical implication will be better instead.