Afrigather The Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, on Monday, tendered electoral paperwork towards the Social Democratic Celebration and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, on the Kogi State Governorship Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The SDP and its candidate within the November 11, 2023 governorship election are difficult INEC for its declaration of incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Usman Ododo, because the winner of the ballot.
Ododo won the election with 446,237 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ajaka of the SDP, who scored 259,052.
The petitioners had, on April 6, 2024, closed their case after calling 25 witnesses.
Throughout Monday’s proceedings, INEC opened their case by submitting some paperwork earlier than a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu.
A few of the paperwork tendered by the fee’s lawyer, Uchenna Njoku, embrace the INEC Rules and Pointers for the Conduct of the Election, INEC Manuals for Electoral Officers, and INEC Kind EC8C.
Others embrace INEC Kind EC8B, INEC Kind EC8E, Record of Accredited Brokers for SDP, Record of Accredited Ward Brokers, and Receipts of Fee for Kinds, amongst others.
After the paperwork had been tendered, Justice Birnin-Kudu admitted them in proof and marked them as reveals.
Njoku then utilized for an adjournment to allow the electoral umpire to current its witnesses on the subsequent adjourned date.
The choose adjourned the matter till April 16 for continuation of the listening to.
Earlier, Justice Birnin-Kudu, who noticed that the SDP’s petition would elapse on Might 29, decreased the variety of days given to the respondents to current their circumstances and for submitting the ultimate written addresses from 10 to 5 days.
He assured that if 5 days weren’t sufficient, the panel wouldn’t hesitate to provide further days.
