Tribunal restrains PDP from scanning ballot papers
From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal, yesterday, granted an order to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr Godwin Obaseki, restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the September 28 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu from scanning the ballot papers used in the election.
It ruled that the PDP could only do it unless the integrity of the equipment to be used for the exercise had been demonstrated and cleared.
The APC had filed an application to challenge the opposition party from scanning the materials. After hearing the four-paragraph motion and the sworn affidavit of the APC, the Justice A. Badamasi-led tribunal granted the application and ordered that the PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu be made to supply the name, model and serial number of the equipment they intended to use in scanning the ballot papers at least two days before the scanning exercise could take place.
The tribunal also ordered that the equipment be demonstrated at the office of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in the presence of all the parties or their representatives with not more than five representatives each.
Governor Obaseki, the candidate of the APC in the September 28 gubernatorial election polled 319,483 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu with over 250,000 votes.
Meanwhile, Obaseki has promised to restore the pride of the civil service and assured that everything would be done to ensure civil servants work in a safe and efficient environment.
He made the promise during an inspection tour of offices at the Palm House Building, state Secretariat Building, Civil Service Commission and Staff Training Centre in Benin.
“What we need to do is go back to the drawing board very quickly and begin a process of instant rehabilitation of some of the offices and ensuring that we create a perimeter fence, provide security and all the facilities required so that our civil servants can work in a safe and efficient environment.
“We need a total overhaul, not only cleaning, but the entire process… So, we are going to look at the entire gamut; from ensuring that this place is properly fenced to having a power system rather than each ministry having a generating set, we need to have an efficient system that powers the secretariat and the entire complex, ensure that they have water, ensure that the place is properly cleaned and ensure that you have control in terms of access of who comes here and that government documents that are kept here are safe,” he said.