Tribunal refuses to grant LP’s application to bring BVAS to court.

Edeoga is challenging the declaration of Gov. Peter Mbah as the winner of the March 18 Governorship Election in Enugu State.

The lead counsel to the petitioner, V. O Azinge, SAN, had, during the hearing, requested the tribunal to make another order summoning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bring the BVAS machines to the tribunal for inspection by the Labour Party.

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She had reminded the court that the INEC, the first respondent, had refused to effect the court’s order by allowing the petitioner to inspect the BVAS machines.

“The first respondent has disobeyed the court again by not bringing the BVAS to court today,” she told the tribunal.

In response, the INEC lawyer, Humphrey Okoli, told the court that the INEC had obeyed the order by granting access to the LP.

He said the attendance register being made to that effect was with him in the court to see that INEC had complied with the order.

“The issue of the matter is that the petitioner failed to comply with the rules of service as they served their subpoena on the wrong person,” Okoli said.

Reacting, Azinge objected to the position of the first respondent and prayed the court to mandate them to comply with the said order of the court issued on March 23.

The petitioner’s counsel, unhappy with the ruling, told the court that July 15 was Saturday, adding that INEC did not open on Saturdays.

“My Lord, what I am asking for is an extension of time within the week so that INEC could come for the inspection,” she pleaded.

In her ruling, the tribunal’s Chairman, M.K Akano, told the petitioners’ counsel to do the needful, explaining that the court had to sit and hear the application before she could grant another order to inspect BVAS.

Akano maintained that the court was time-bound to deliver its judgement within 180 days and had other cases to entertain besides LP and the PDP matter.

“This tribunal is time-bound to deliver its judgment within a specific period and will not be able to give any extension of time to any party because there are more cases to be heard,” she explained.

Meanwhile, during cross-examination, some LP witnesses told the tribunal that polling unit results differed from those collated.

Augustine Ezeme and Solomon Attah, both LP polling agents, said the results of the polling units monitored by the agents in the Udenu and Igboeze North council areas differed from those collated at the council areas.

However, the tribunal’s Chairman adjourned the matter to July 15 to continue the hearing.

SOURCE.