Just in: Finally, Atiku, PDP file exparte motion seeking inspection of election materials
At the height of speculations on whether the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will challenge the presidential election, the party today, Tuesday, March 5, 2019, filed an application seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow it to inspect materials used for the conduct of the poll.
Business Hilights gathered that in line with Electoral Act as amended, inspection of election materials precedes the filing of an election petition at the tribunal.
INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, were joined as the first to the third respondents in the motion filed by PDP and Atiku.
Lead counsel of the petitioners, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), filed the ex parte application before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal located on the premises of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.
Though details are sketchy as at the time of filing this report, it was discovered that Atiku and PDP are vide their application, seeking the court’s order to grant them go-ahead to inspect the Voters Registers, the Smart Card Reader Machines, ballot papers and other documents used nationwide in the conduct of the presidential election.
In another development also today, both President Muhammadu Buhari and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, have been sued by the presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement, Mr Usman Ibrahim-Alhaji on grounds of spending more than the limit allowed by Electoral Act.
Ibrahim-Alhaji relied on Section 91(2) of the Electoral Act, 2010 to pray the Court to nullify the participation of Buhari and Atiku in the February 23 presidential election for allegedly violating the Electoral Act 2010.
Whereas the APC, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission are defendants in the suit, the plaintiff through his counsel, Mr. Ezekiel Ofou said his team has facts to show that both participants overshot their spending runways.
Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter until March 26 for mention.
