The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his party on Tuesday in Abuja, commenced legal process challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared President Buhari and his party, APC, winner of the poll, having scored a total of 15,191,847 as against 11,262,978 by Atiku and the PDP.
Dissatisfied with the conduct and outcome of the election, the former vice-president and his party vowed to approach the election petition tribunal to ventilate their grievances as well as reclaim their alleged stolen mandate.
Consequently, the plaintiffs on Tuesday filed an ex parte motion at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, venue of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
In the motion, Atiku and the PDP are praying for an order compelling INEC to allow them inspect the voter’ register and other vital documents used in the conduct of the election.
Respondents in the motion ex parte dated March 4 and filed March 5 include INEC, President Buhari and the APC.
The motion filed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Chris Uche, is praying the tribunal to compel the electoral body to allow their agents to scan and make photocopies of vital documents used in the last presidential election for the purpose of proving their case at the tribunal.
The application is supported with a 12-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd.), Director of Contact and Mobilisation for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council.
Both Atiku and the PDP are claiming that they won the presidential election but were short changed by INEC during the collation and announcement of the results.
However, no date was fixed for hearing of the motion.
ThisDay
