The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin on Wednesday restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the September 28 the governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, from utilising any equipment to examine, scan, or whatsoever interact with the ballot papers used in the conduct of the election.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the election, Mr Godwin Obaseki, had prayed the tribunal to do so, following which the prayer was granted by the tribunal.
The party stated that the integrity of the equipment PDP hoped to use for examination and scanning exercises should be demonstrated and cleared by the Tribunal beforehand.
After hearing the four-paragraph motion and the sworn affidavit of the APC, the Justice A. Badamasi-led Tribunal granted the application and ordered the PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu be made to supply the names, models and serial numbers of the equipment they planned 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 should 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.