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Edo Election Tribunal grants PDP leave to serve APC through substituted means

Published

10 years ago

October 28, 2016

From OSEMWENGIE BEN OGBEMUDIA, Benin City

The Governorship election tribunal, sitting in Benin City, Edo State, this Thursday, granted the prayer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and others in the suit No. EPT/EDS/GOV/3/2016 to serve the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr. Godwin Obaseki their petition by substituted means.

Justice Badamasi, Chairman of the Tribunal, who allowed the petitioners to argue the motion ex parte, outside the pre-hearing session of the court, ruled that the petitioners can serve the APC and Obaseki with the petition and all other processes by substituted means.

He said “the application is, hereby, granted as prayed”, because, “it falls in line with paragraph 47 first schedule of the Electoral Act as amended and Sections 5(6) 5 of the High Court rules”, applicable able to the tribunal.

The petitioners had asked the court for an order to enable them to serve the APC and Mr Godwin Obaseki their petition by substituted means, “to wit by pasting the said petition and all other processes on the wall or door of the last known addresses”, of the APC and Mr Obaseki.

The petitioners also told the tribunal that the last known addresses are the APC state headquarters along Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State for the APC and No. 8 Commercial Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State for Obaseki.

They argued that the grounds for their application were that the bailiff of the Honourable Tribunal has made several attempts to personally serve the APC and Mr Obaseki, “but all to no avail”, hence, they need for “leave of the Honourable tribunal is required “, for the APC and Obaseki to be served by substituted means.