Not less than 15 lawyers have been hired by the Ogun State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party to challenge the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun at the March 18 governorship election held in the state.
The NNPP’s legal team, led by Barrister Peter Ogah, on Thursday filed and submitted the party’s petition before the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.
The election petition, with suit number EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023, dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, Governor Abiodun, and his party, the All Progressives Congress, before the tribunal over an alleged omission of the NNPP’s name on the ballot papers used for the governorship and assembly elections held on Saturday 18th of March, 2023.
NNPP, in an affidavit deposed by the State Chairman, Oginni Olaposi, insisted that the party lodged a petition with the tribunal because it was dissatisfied with the outcome of the election.
It would be recalled that the team of legal luminaries assembled by Ogun NNPP had filed an exparte motion seeking an order of the court to move the motion before the pre-hearing session of the tribunal.
The party also prayed the court to direct INEC to grant the party access to inspect, photocopy, scan, pay for, and obtain certified true copies of all the documents used in the conduct of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
Three Judges of the election tribunal, however, granted NNPP’s request to inspect, photocopy, scan and record all sensitive materials used by INEC.
The three judges, namely Justice Arum Igyem Ashom, Justice Eno Ikpi Ebri, and Justice Khadi Ibrahim Ya’u, unanimously agreed in their ruling on the exparte motion brought by the counsels of NNPP to allow the party inspect the electoral materials.
Speaking on the petition filed by NNPP, the party’s chairman stressed every due process would be followed to ensure justice is served.
Oginni argued that INEC violated the fundamental right of the party by omitting the party’s logo on the ballot papers.
He added: “It’s the fundamental right of our party to seek redress by approaching the tribunal to seek for total cancellation of the March 18th governorship election in Ogun State.
“It’s evidently clear that the name of NNPP was not on the logo on the ballot. What the law says is that any omission of this sort is tantamount to exclusion from participating in the said election.
“Our request for justice is that the election is declared null and void and a fresh election with name and logo of NNPP is to be conducted within a reasonable time.”
