Edo Election: You can’t scan ballot papers, Tribunal tells PDP

The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin, on Wednesday, granted the request of All Progressive Congress (APC) and Mr Godwin Obaseki, restraining the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the September 28 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, from using any equipment to examine, scan, or howsoever interact with the ballot papers used in the election unless the integrity of such equipment has been demonstrated and cleared by the Election Petition Tribunal.

After hearing the four paragraph motion and the sworn affidavit of the APC, the Hon. Justice A. Badamasi-led Tribunal granted application and ordered that the PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu be made to supply the name, model and serial number of the equipment they want to use in scanning the ballot papers at least two days before the scanning exercise can take place.

Significantly, the Election Petition Tribunal also ordered that the equipment should be demonstrated at the Independent Electoral Commission’s offices in the presence of all the parties or their representatives with not more than five representatives each.

It would be recalled that Governor Obaseki, the candidate of the APC was declared the winner of the September 28th gubernatorial election by INEC with over 319,483 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Pastor Ize-Iyamu who polled a total of over 250,000 votes.