Timothy Omobude The gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Ogun state, Olufemi Oguntoyinbo, has commended the the ruling of the Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ogun State for granting the party’s request to inspect all Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and other sensitive materials used for the 2023 elections in the state over omission of the party’s name on the ballot paper.
The tribunal granted all the prayers of the NNPP in the motion ex-parte filed on Friday at the Isabo court in Abeokuta.
It would be recalled that Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been declared winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election held in the state.
But, the NNPP went to court to challenge the omission of its name on the ballot paper in the State, noting that this act has disenfranchised the party members, loyalists, supporters and the masses from voting for the party during the guber and State Assembly elections.
The motion ex-parte was supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit deposed by the State Chairman of the party, Olaposi Oginni.
The NNPP had complained that INEC did not print the name of the party on the governorship ballot papers, as prescribed by the Electoral Act.
The party asked the tribunal to allow it make photocopies, scan and record all sensitive materials used by INEC in the March 18 governorship election.
NNPP stated that it would seek the nullification of the governorship election in Ogun due to the omission of its name on the ballot papers.
Granting the prayers, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Argum Ashom agreed with the NNPP on the prayers, “in that effect the reliefs are granted as prayed.”
Speaking on this development in a statement he personally issued yesterday, Oguntoyinbo commended the tribunal for granting the party’s prayers over omission of the party’s name on the ballot during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in Ogun state on March 18, 2023.
Oguntoyinbo disclosed that the party in the state, had earlier written a letter to INEC to ensure the inclusion of his party’s name on the ballot paper, but INEC in its wisdom decided to rob the party of victory by refusing to correct the error, hence, the need to challenge it constitutionally by going to tribunal.
He noted that omitting the name of the party, gave voters difficulties to find party’s name on ballot papers, noting that the effect of the voting drive was a ploy to rob him and the party the victory in the just conducted gubernatorial and state assembley elections.
Oguntoyinbo, then, called for the rerun of the election so that the party’s name will be properly inscribe on the ballot paper.
