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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled its plan to deploy a substantial workforce of 46,084 ad-hoc staff for the upcoming gubernatorial elections scheduled for November 11 in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states. This announcement was made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners held in Abuja.

Prof. Yakubu also highlighted that a significant number of national and international organizations will engage 11,000 observers to monitor the off-cycle elections, ensuring transparency and credibility. Furthermore, the 18 political parties participating in the governorship elections are set to deploy 137,934 agents, including 130,093 polling agents and 7,841 collation agents.

Mahmood Yakubu underlined the Commission's efforts in various aspects of preparation for the upcoming elections. He mentioned that 80 media organizations have applied to deploy 1,203 personnel, comprising journalists and technical/support staff, to report on the elections. INEC is actively addressing logistical arrangements, including the provision of vehicles and boats for transportation, both on land and across water bodies.

However, the INEC Chairman expressed deep concern about the increasing insecurity and election-related violence witnessed in the three states, emphasizing the need for a secure environment to ensure the safety of all involved. Prof. Yakubu assured that the Commission is closely collaborating with the security agencies, and further engagements are planned in the coming days.

Despite the challenging security situation, INEC has already delivered all non-sensitive materials to the three states, and preparatory activities, including staff training, are proceeding as planned. The lessons learned from the 2023 general elections are being applied to enhance the Commission's performance in the forthcoming elections.

The recent judgment by a State High Court in Kano, overturning the victory of the Labour Party in Abia, has been dismissed as "inconsequential" by the party. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party emphasized that the judgment held no weight due to the lack of jurisdiction of the court in question.

According to the statement, the court's ruling was deemed laughable and ineffective because it attempted to intervene in an election matter long after the elections had concluded and winners had been declared. The Labour Party argued that the Kano Court did not possess the constitutional authority to handle pre-election matters, making its verdict legally unsound.

The party clarified that the case involved only the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with no specific individuals mentioned. As a result, the court could not grant any relief that was not sought for. The Labour Party expressed confidence that the judgment would be overturned and announced their intention to seek recourse through the Appeal Court.

Highlighting a broader concern, the party raised alarm over alleged attempts by opposition parties to create internal conflicts within the Labour Party. They provided evidence of letters initiated by a certain Akingbade, sent to various tribunals requesting the withdrawal of cases. The Labour Party disassociated themselves from Akingbade, Lamidi Apapa, Abayomi Arabambi, and others associated with them, stating that they no longer represented the party in any capacity.

Furthermore, the party expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with the swiftness of the judgment, which was delivered within 48 hours without proper notification to the parties involved. This raised concerns about due process and fairness in the legal proceedings.

The Labour Party reiterated its disregard for the judgment, labeling it as insignificant and assured its supporters that they would pursue legal avenues to challenge and overturn the verdict. They also reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the party from internal disruptions and ensuring the integrity of their cases in tribunals.

The Osun state governorship election has been a subject of controversy since its inception on July 16, with allegations of over-voting in some polling units. The Osun governorship election tribunal ruled in January that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, was able to prove that there was over-voting in some of the polling units. Consequently, the tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ademola Adeleke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and issue a fresh one to Oyetola as the duly elected governor of Osun.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Adeleke appealed the judgment. On March 24, a court of appeal sitting in Abuja reinstated Adeleke as the duly elected governor of the state. In its judgment, a three-member panel of justices held that the election tribunal erred when it ruled that Oyetola and the APC had proved their allegation of over-voting.

However, the controversy is far from over, as the Supreme Court in Abuja has fixed Tuesday, May 9, to deliver judgment on the disputed governorship poll in Osun state. A five-member panel of justices led by John Okoro fixed the date on Monday after all the parties involved adopted their written briefs in the matter.

In his appeal, Adeleke argued that there was no majority judgment as the second judge on the panel, Rabi Bashir, failed to write her opinion as required by section 294(2) of the constitution. He also challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to preside over the petition on the grounds that it failed to consider the preliminary objection he filed against the petitioners.

The forthcoming judgment by the Supreme Court will have significant implications for the political landscape of Osun state and the country at large. All eyes will be on the apex court as it makes its final decision on the disputed governorship election.

However, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Sanwo-Olu allegedly evaded service of the petition on him by the court's bailiff. Rhodes-Vivour and his party's lawyer, Olagbade Benson, informed the election petition tribunal that the governor refused to collect the document from the bailiff when the court official arrived at his office to serve him.

As a result, Rhodes-Vivour and the LP asked the court to grant them permission to serve the petition and other processes to the governor and his deputy through alternate means, such as DHL courier services or any other recognized courier service company. They suggested posting the documents to Sanwo-Olu's official residence at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos.

The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has now approved Rhodes-Vivour's ex parte application to serve Sanwo-Olu with the petition documents through a substitute. This means that the LP candidate can serve the governor via an alternate means, as requested.

The use of alternative means to serve legal documents is not uncommon. It is a process that allows parties in a legal dispute to serve documents on the other party if they cannot be physically located or if they evade service. This alternative method ensures that parties in a legal dispute can proceed with their case without being held back by a refusal to accept service.

In conclusion, the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has granted Gbadegbo Rhodes-Vivour and the Labour Party's request to serve Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with petition documents through an alternate means. The plaintiffs had claimed that the governor evaded service of the documents by the court's bailiff. The use of alternate means to serve legal documents is not uncommon, and it ensures that parties can proceed with their case without being held back by a refusal to accept service.