The Senior Magistrate Court, Karu in Nasarawa State, where the Imo State Election Petition Tribunal was relocated to, following frightening insecurity, was agog yesterday, as the Tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to produce within 7days, 40 out of the 58 BVAS machines used for the conduct of the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency supplementary election held on April, 15, 2023.
The candidate of Labour Party, for Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal constituency, Chief Uche Ogbuagu, and his party, had filed a petition against the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress APC as winner of the election that was said to have been marred by brigandage, unprecedented violence, harassment and intimidation.
When the matter came up yesterday for pre-hearing, the pending motions that were due, were entertained while one motion was reserved for the next hearing.
“Among decisions taken by the Tribunal today, were the order on INEC to produce 40 out of the 58 BVAS machines used for the crisis ridden Mbaitoli-Ikeduru Federal Constituency Supplementary election held on April 15, 2023 an earlier prayer of the petitioner Rt. Hon. Ogbuagu and refusing the petitioner to interrogate INEC, which does not interfere or affect the petition negatively as such scenario played out at the ongoing presidential election petition tribunal and others across the country”.
Chairman of the tribunal, thereafter, slated August 2,3,9,10,11,12 and 13 for accelerated hearing of the matter. He also opined that he would likely be through with the matter by August, 14, 2023.
