The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ogun State, alongside with its gubernatorial candidate in the 9th March 2019 election, Adekunle Akinlade, has on Tuesday, 26th March, 2019 approached the Election Tribunal set up for the gubernatorial election in the state seeking an order to compel the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ogun State to grant them access to inspect the materials used in the just concluded gubernatorial election in the state.
In a petition with a reference number EPT/06/GOV/01/2019, the APM and Adekunle Akinlade has pleaded with the Election Tribunal that inspecting the materials used for the gubernatorial election is important to them as thus will enable them put up a petition to challenge INEC declaring the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dapo Abiodun winner in the 9th March 2019 gubernatorial election in Ogun State.
The top six contestants in the result of the gubernatorial election held in Ogun State as declared by INEC stated thus;
Dapo Abiodun (All Progressives Congress – APC) – 241, 670 votes (winner)
Adekunle Akinlade (Allied Peoples Movement APM) – 222,153 votes (runner up)
Mr Abiodun polled 241,670 votes to defeat Mr Akinlade who had 222,153 votes.
Gboyega Isiaka (African Democratic Congress – ADC) – 110,422 votes
Buruji Kashamu (Peoples Democratic Party -PDP) – 70,290 votes,
Dimeji Bankole (Action Democratic Party – ADP) – 9,666 votes.
The above results was rejected by the APM and its candidates as a true representation of the votes casted during the gubernatorial election in the state, hence they had decided to challenge the results at the Election Tribunal.
However, the APM and its candidates is requesting for access to the materials used during the election to enable them file a petition which will not be granted by INEC unless a for order is given by the Election Tribunal in that direction.
In the petition filed by the APM and its candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, they requested an order directing INEC to grant them access to their solicitors, agents, experts and other staff of the APM to inspect, photocopy, scan, pay for and obtain certified copies of all the electoral material used by INEC for the conduct of the gubernatorial election in Ogun State on 9th March, 2019, for the purpose of instituting and maintaining Election Petition; the said documents being the ones contained in the schedule attached to the Supporting Affidavit to this application.
Quoting the application filed by the APM and Adekunle Akinlade before the tribunal, it stated thus, “An order allowing/permitting the Petitioners/Applicants (for the purpose of instituting and maintaining an Election Petition) to inspect, scan, photocopy, pay for and obtain certified copies of the electoral documents contained in the schedule attached to the Application, same being the documents that are in the custody of and were used by the 1st Respondent in the conduct of the Governorship Election that took place in Ogun State on 9th March, 2019. An order directing the 1st Respondent to promptly abide by the orders of this court, made in the terms of the Ex parte application.”
The petition was filed on behalf of the APM and Adekunle Akinlade by their team of solicitors which is headed by Onyechi Ikpeazu, and 15 other lawyers, among whom are Mamman Osman, Sebastine Hon and Ahmed Raji.
