Court orders INEC to allow PDP, Atiku access all electoral materials

BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu

A three-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has granted PDP and Atiku Abubakar access to all electoral materials used in the presidential elections.  

The panel on Wednesday heard the ex-parte motion filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, seeking an order granting them access to inspect the electoral materials used for the February 23 polls.

Atiku filed an ex-parte motion at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, asking for various orders of the court to allow him to access all documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the presidential election.

The ex-parte motion prayed for an order compelling INEC to allow them to inspect the register and other vital documents used in the conduct of the election unhindered.

In delivering its ruling, the panel ordered INEC to allow the appellant access to all electoral materials to enable the applicant file and maintain an electoral petition.

However, the court refused prayers 3 to 5 which sought scanning and forensic audit. Stating that a forensic audit does not fall under the terms envisaged by section 151 of the electoral act.

The panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki agreed unanimously to the ruling, hence, the motion was granted in part.

Other members of the panel include Justices Peter Ige and Emmanuel Agim.

•Sourced from a Channels TV report