The three-member tribunal panel, headed by Justice Halima Mohammed, granted the ex-parte motion following an application by counsel to the PDP’s candidate, Chief Chris Uche (SAN).
Supported by Justice Patricia Ajoku and Justice Ogbogo Ejembi, the tribunal chairman also issued an order that all the respondents in the petition be served the tribunal’s order for them to be present during the inspection at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Lokoja.
Uche, who is leading two other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) and about 10 other legal practitioners for the PDP, had filed the application on January 9 seeking an order of the tribunal to inspect materials used in the conduct of the governorship election in the custody of INEC.
Uche said the motion supported by a 17-paragraph affidavit and deposed to by one S.M. John-Mark was in line with section 151 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
Uche, in a welcome address on behalf of the Bar, said the cases in the state were ‘narrow and novel,’ urging the tribunal to be conscious of time in expeditious determination of the petitions.
Uche said that the world was waiting for the judiciary to apply its wisdom to save the country out of the political logjam, saying that the scenario was new and never contemplated in the nation’s democratic experiment.
The petition filed by Wada has the All Progressives Congress (APC), INEC and Bello as respondents.
The tribunal has, however, adjourned further sitting till January 21.
