Tribunal Orders INEC to Allow Buhari, APC Inspect Electoral Materials

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant President Muhammadu Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just-concluded presidential election and the APC, access to inspect materials used for the conduct of the February 23 presidential election.

A three-man panel of the tribunal made the order Thursday in a ruling on two separate exparte motions filed by Buhari and the APC.

The three-man panel of justices led by Justice Abdul Aboki held that their applications was meritorious and accordingly ordered INEC to allow them access to the materials for the purpose of inspection and to make photocopies of same.

Buhari and the APC, in their motions, argued on their behalf by their lawyers prayed the tribunal to compel INEC to allow them access to materials used for the election, inspect same and obtain certified true copies of the materials.

According to them, the request is to enable them prepare adequately to defend themselves in any petition which the runner-up in the poll, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), plans to file.

Only last week, Atiku and the PDP were granted a similar permission to enable them institute and maintain their petitions at the tribunal.

Their actions followed the declaration of Buhari and APC winners of the February 23 presidential election, which they alleged was rigged in favour of Buhari and the APC.

The party had emerged victorious in the election, which its outcome Atiku and PDP had vowed to challenge at the tribunal.

The Justice Abdu Aboki-led tribunal had earlier on March 6 granted similar order to PDP and Atiku permitting them to inspect the electoral materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the election to enable them to file their petition against the outcome of the poll.

Buhari and the APC, through their lawyers, moved their separate ex parte motions before the three-man bench on Thursday.

The tribunal in their rulings made the order permitting them to carry out the inspection of the electoral materials and obtain the certified through copies of the documents from INEC.