….awards cost against INEC
The Ekiti Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti on Monday dismissed the application brought before it by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) saying the day when technicalities override justice was gone for good.
The tribunal ruled that the days of hiding under technicalities to trample on matters of justice was gone for good, adding that the court today is on the side of Justice.
Justice Zaad I Zadawa who read the unanimous decision of the tribunal resolved the issuance of subpoena against the INEC and awarded a fine of five thousand against the electoral body, explaining that days when technicalities override matters of justice wass gone for good.
It would be recalled that the INEC counsel, Prince Chris Onwugbonor had earlier filled a 14-page application to evade the invitation of their witnesses after the body refused to obey the order of the tribunal for the petitioner to inspect election materials as well as enter their witnesses in the court process.
Against the backdrop, the tribunal in its sitting Tuesday decided against INEC on all the ground sort for, hence the award of a N500, 000 fine which the lawyer to the petitioner, Mr Owoseni Ajayi had asked for as damages.
INEC had earlier relied on point of law, but Owoseni countered it, describing the motion as abnormal and contentious, the worst he had ever seen in his handling of petition cases.
He concluded that it Is disobedience of the existing rule of the tribunal and asked the tribunal to dismiss it because it has nothing to do with the merit of the case.
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