(LOCAL) Tribunal Grants Atiku Access To Inspect Electoral Materials

   The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday granted the request by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to be allowed to inspect the electoral materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the February 23 polls.

  However, the three-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki unanimously rejected other prayers by the applicants seeking orders permitting them to among others, photocopy and scan the electoral documents.

    The tribunal also refused their requests to be allowed to conduct forensic examination and forensic analysis of the materials and have access to card reader data and information contained in the smart card reader, cloud and electronic storage used for the polls, Punch reports.Delivering the lead ruling, Justice Aboki said after a careful consideration of the application, a perusal of section 151 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and the decisions of this court in Aregbesola Vs Oyinlola 2009, Akintayo Vs Jolaoye and Hope Uzodinma Vs Osita Izunaso, it is hereby ordered: Leave is granted to the applicants to bring this application.

   “The first respondent (INEC) shall allow the applicants to inspect the polling documents and be given the certified true copies of the polling documents used for the conduct of the presidential election across the country to enable them to institute and maintain their election petition. “Prayers 4, 5, and 6 are hereby rejected.”