By Simon Ebegbulem & Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—THE order by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, that all parties must be present during the inspection of ballot papers used for the September 28, 2016 election in the state dominated yesterday’s proceedings as counsel for both Petitioners and Respondents were on each other’s throat as to whether the tribunal’s order was being obeyed or not.

This came as the tribunal, led by Justice Ahmed Badamasi adjourned its sitting to  December 12, 2016 for pre-hearing and January 9, 2017, for the hearing of the main petition.

The ruling of the tribunal on the adjournment of the pre-hearing was sequel to an earlier meeting by the senior counsel to parties who agreed that the avalanche of petitions before the tribunal should be taken during the final address by the parties to save time and make the work of the tribunal easier.

Ize-Iyamu and Obasek

The legal fireworks in the tribunal heightened when the counsel to the petitioners, led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), told the tribunal that its order on inspection of ballot papers was being frustrated by the Respondents.

He claimed petitioners had intimated the respondents to some of the challenges being faced, adding however that, “it does appear that there is a deliberate and connived attempt to frustrate our inspection of ballot papers.”

According to him, during the scanning process the Respondents had insisted that each of their 10 representatives must inspect a ballot paper which according to him, would take at least 30 minutes to inspect describing it as time wasting and frustrating.

Wole Olanipekun (SAN) who led Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for APC and Oyinye  Anumonye for INEC, said the issue of inspection of ballot papers was not for the tribunal to decide adding that “if they want a variation they should bring an application to that effect.”