Oni accused the REC, in a separate petition dated August 29 and addressed to the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, of deliberately trying to frustrate the diligent prosecution of his case at the tribunal.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Social Democratic Party’s candidate at the June 18 governorship polls in Ekiti, Segun Oni, has sued the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti, Adeniran Tela, for allegedly disobeying an order of the governorship election tribunal.
Tela has refused to comply with the order of the tribunal availing him unfettered access to materials used in conducting the election, Oni said in the contempt suit.
Oni accused the REC, in a separate petition dated August 29 and addressed to the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, of deliberately trying to frustrate the diligent prosecution of his case at the tribunal.
One of his counsels, Owoseeni Ajayi, told journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, that the acton against the REC became necessary after he asked Oni to approach INEC office in Abuja, rather than Ado-Ekiti, to get election materials to prosecute his case.
Ajayi said it was a flagrant abridgment of the law for the REC to have given such instruction, saying documents were issued and election material inspected in the Ado-Ekiti office of INEC, in all the previous election petition cases that had been held in the state.
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“Following the filing of our petition, we requested for (sic) some documents to prosecute our case. We also made case to inspect some election materials, which the Tribunal granted,” counsel to Oni said.
“We were taken aback when a letter dated 23rd August, 2022 personally signed by REC and addressed to the respondent said the party /counsel should write to INEC headquarters, Abuja for the documents/materials as stated in the court order.
“This letter was most uniformed and contemptuous of the court for the fact that in the meeting held with parties on August 22, 2022 by REC, there was no discussion about the parties writing to INEC headquarters, Abuja because we purely acted on court order.
“Inspection of election materials was never done in Abuja, but at the state head office. It is therefore contemptuous for the REC to vary the order of the Tribunal by instructing parties to write to INEC office, Abuja. This was strange , unlawful and beyond understanding. It has never happened anywhere.
“It is therefore clear that the REC was acting a script of impunity to frustrate the Petitioner’s case. Nigerians must take note of this dubious impunitous act of INEC’s attempt to derail democracy in Ekiti. The opposition parties are also entitled to their rights under democracy.”
The INEC REC has denied any wrongdoing.