Labour Party has written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to notify him of the court order compelling the commission to upload results electronically from polling units in real time.
The order is from the Judgment of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Lagos in the case of LABOUR PARTY, GBADEBO RHODES-VIVOUR AND 40 ORS. V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC).
The notification is coming five days to the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections.
Channel TV’s judiciary correspondent, Shola Soyele, obtained a copy of the letter which was dated 10th March 2023 and signed by the state legal adviser of the party, Abass Ibrahim.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Segun Agbaje, was copied in the letter which also had attached to it, the order of the court.
In the order, Justice Lifu had compelled INEC, its servants, agent, privies to comply, enforce and abide by the provisions of Clause 37 of the REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINESS FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS 2022 for the conduct of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Lagos State on 11th
March, 2023 or any other date to be held, by mandating the presiding officers of ALL Polling Units to paste the publication of Result poster EC 60 E at the polling Unit conspicuously after completing the C 8A result sheet.
The order also directed INEC to comply and enforce the provisions of CLAUSE 38 of the REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINESS FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS 2022 for the conduct of the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections in Lagos State on 11th March, 2023 or any other date so fixed by mandating the presiding officers of ALL Polling Units to electronically transmit or transfer the result of the polling units direct to the collation system and scanned copy of the EC 8A to Independent National Electoral Commission result viewing portal (IREV) immediately after the completion of all the polling units voting and result procedures.
INEC was also by the order directed to observe, comply, enforce and abide by the provisions of Section 27 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 in the distribution of electoral material during the conduct of the Governorship and House of Assembly Election of LAGOS STATE on the 11th of March, 2023 or any other date by engaging the services of non-partisan independent, competent, reliable logistic entities or companies for the distribution of electoral materials and personnel.
The letter reads:
“We write to communicate the Judgment of Honourable Justice P. O. Lifu (JP) in respect of the above- named suit to the Commission.
Whilst we are not oblivious of the fact that the Commission was duly represented in Court by Counsels, to wit: Jacinta Kelechi Ukaonu Esq. and Temitayo Dosunmu Esq., we are of the considered opinion that it is safer for our great party to err on the side of caution and make a copy of Certified True Copy of the Court’s Judgment available to the Commission for compliance and ease of reference.Please find enclosed a copy of the Certified True copy of the Judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on 8th March 2023 in respect of the above-named suit for your kind attention.
Whilst we hope that the Commission will allow wise counsel to prevail in compliance with the compelling Orders of the Court as contained in the attached Judgment, please accept the assurances of our sincere regards.
Abass Ibrahim Esq.
State Legal Adviserencl.
CC: Mr. Olusegun Agbaje
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner
Independent National Electoral Co.mission Lagos State