By Godwin Oghre
An order of the National and State Legislative Houses Election Petitions Tribunal holden at Asaba Delta State, to the effect that the ballot papers  used at the Sapele constituency election of 26th April, 2011 during the State Houses of Assembly election be re-counted was Friday executed at the state chapter of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Asaba.

As at press time, Mr Austin Atiti, personal assistant to Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya, Peoples Democratic Party candidate at the election, and present  member representing Sapele constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly, confirmed to  Saturday Vanguard on phone that the counting was in progress unhindered.

As  at Monday when the counting was  scheduled to take place at the commission’s Sapele office, the absence of Democratic People Party Candidate’s  legal councel, Mr. Onome Egbon, stalled the recounting, forcing INEC officials to  postpone it till yesterday.

A certified true copy of the tribunal order, dated 6th October, 2011, obtained  by Saturday Vanguard showed that the  tribunal ordered the recounting of the votes cast in Ward 4 units 001,002,003,004,006,-011,012, and 017, Ward 7 units 001,002,003,004,-006,007,008,012, and 014,and Ward 9 units 002,005,006,011,-012,016,018,020,022 and 026, as contended by counsels  to the petioner, Dr  Cyril  Abeye Ogodo , candidate of the Democratic People Party at the  election, which was not objected to by counsels to  the respondent, Hon. Chief  Monday Ovwigho Igbuya, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party.

It would be recalled that Dr Cyril Abeye Ogodo {DPP} has  dragged  Hon. Chief Monday Igbuya {PDP} before the tribunal  seeking the mullification of the latter’s victory at the poll, on the grounds that the election was characterized by  gross irregulaties in the aforementioned wards .

Following  request by his {Ogodo’s} counsel to the tribunal and which the respondent did not oppose, the tribunal ordered a recounting of the ballot papers in the disputed wards.

It was a drama on Monday at the sapele Inec  office when representatives of the petitioner, Dr Cyril ogodo, pulled out of the counting process which was about to begin at 10.00Am, saying that their counsel was not available and that he was not put on notice.

A bailiff who represented the tribunal at the exercise, Mr Evan Oputeh, however, confirmed that the Petitioner’s counsel was duely served the tribunal’s  order  and signed for it himself, on the  7th day of October, 2011.

All efforts to contact the  counsel to the petitioner, Mr Onome Egbon, on his GSM set failed as the barrister did not pick his calls, forcing the INEC and the tribunal officials to postpone the exercise to yesterday.