A three-member Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Kano yesterday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) access to all electoral materials used during the governorship election in the state.
The governorship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Abba Yusuf, is challenging the declaration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of March 23 supplementary election held in the state.
In an ex-parte motion filed before the tribunal presided over by Justice Halima Shamaki, counsel for PDP candidate, Mr. Maliki Kuliya, sought the order of the tribunal to direct the first respondent, INEC, to allow PDP access materials used for the conduct of March 9 and 23, 2019 governorship elections.
The PDP lawyer prayed that the tribunal to “direct the 1st respondent to forthwith grant access to the petitioners/applicants and their solicitors, agents, experts and other staff to inspect, photocopy, scan, pay for and obtain certified copies of all the documents used by the 1st respondent for the conduct of the Kano State governorship election held on March 9 and 23, 2019 for the purpose of instituting and maintaining an election petition; the said documents being the ones contained in the schedule attached to the supporting affidavit to this application.”
In her ruling, Justice Shamaki granted the PDP prayers, directing INEC to surrender photo copies, scan and other certified materials used during the conduct of Kano elections.
However, she ordered for two or three members of APC to be present as observers during the inspection exercise.
