The Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, on Tuesday, granted the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), the permission to inspect the materials used for the October 10 election in the state.
The Tribunal, headed by Justice Umar Abubakar, also granted an order for substituted service to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
In an exparte order, Justice Abubakar, who led other two judges of the tribunal, granted the orders moved by one of the counsels of Jegede, Jamiu Makinde.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had declared Governor Akeredolu as the winner of the just concluded Ondo State governorship election.
He beat his main challenger and candidate of PDP, Eyitayo Jegede, and the deputy governor, candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Agboola Ajayi, to emerge the winner.
Akeredolu won 15 of the 18 local government areas while his closest rival, Jegede, won in three local government areas and Ajayi failed to win any, including his own local government area where he lost to his principal.
Akeredolu polled 292,830 as against Jegede’s 195,791 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Jegede approached the tribunal.
Among the grounds are that the election was marred by irregularities and pockets of violence as well as intimidation and faulty emergence of Akeredolu at the APC primaries.
Makinde had, in the motion exparte, sought an order to serve the defendants through substituted service by pasting on the petition on the notice board of the tribunal.
He also sought an order allowing access to materials used for the conduct of the October 10 governorship election and in custody of the INEC.
He listed local councils in which electoral materials were to be accessed to include Owo, Eseodo, Ilaje, Okitipupa amongst others.
Chairman of the Tribunal granted the order and said the petitioner could advertise the served processes in newspaper circulating within its jurisdiction.
Justice Abubakar also allowed the petitioner access to election materials in custody of INEC within the hours of 8am and 4pm for a period of five working days.
