Ekiti: APC loses round one at election tribunal

The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal constituted to hear grievances arising from the conduct of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State began sitting on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Muhammad Siraj of the Federal High Court, Jos Division, was the only judge that appeared at the inaugural sitting.
The presiding judge, at the sitting struck out a motion ex-parte filed by the petitioner, the All Progressive Congress (APC), seeking to compel INEC to allow it inspect the materials used for the poll.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Lateef Fagbemi, who is the head of the APC’s legal team made the request on behalf of his clients.
He was however represented at the inaugural sitting by another lawyer, Mr Kabir Akingbolu.
The 1st and 2nd respondents, Mr Ayo Fayose and the PDP, did not make any legal representation at the tribunal’s first day of sitting.
The APC had last weekend headed for the tribunal to seek invalidation of Fayose’s election, saying he was not fit to contest the election.
It is also asked the tribunal to declare that the action of the Chief of Army Staff, as well as IGP’s deployment of over 36,000 armed men to secure the poll was illegal, null and void.
That panel has 180 days to try the case in consonance with the provisions of Section 134 of the Electoral Act, commencing from the day it was filed at the tribunal.
NAN reports that entrances to the State Judiciary Headquarters, venue of the tribunal, were on Wednesday secured by scores of fully armed security men