Oyo guber: Court orders INEC to allow Adelabu, APC inspect materials

The Election Petition Tribunal in Oyo state on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebayo Adelabu, to inspect election materials used in the March 9 governorship election.

The INEC had declared Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the governorship election after polling 515, 621 votes to defeat Adelabu who had 357, 982 votes.

Other respondents in the case are the PDP and the INEC.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Anthony Akpovi, said he gave the order after considering the application made by Adelabu on its merit and felt it would help the petitioners in maintaining their case against the respondents.

He ordered the INEC to allow the petitioners and their agents inspect and obtain all polling documents used in the March 9 governorship election that are in the custody of INEC.

Akpovi directed INEC to make available all ballot papers, voter registers and copies of all election materials in all polling units.

Earlier, counsel to Adelabu, Olajide Ola, had prayed the court to grant his motion ex parte to inspect the governorship election materials in the state.

Adelabu and the APC had filed a petition at the tribunal against INEC for declaring Makinde winner of the governorship election.