The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has requested the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to vary the inspection order granted to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Peter Obi.
INEC stated that the current order would not guarantee the security of its documents and electoral materials. The commission also claimed that the inspection order granted to the PDP was too broad and would require an immense amount of resources to comply with.
The PDP and Atiku Abubakar had earlier requested to inspect and obtain certified true copies of INEC’s documents and materials used during the February 23, 2019 presidential election. The inspection order was granted by the tribunal on March 6, 2019.
The PDP had argued that the inspection was necessary for the purpose of filing and maintaining their petition against the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the election.
The tribunal has adjourned the case to March 20, 2019, to hear INEC’s request.
The outcome of the request by INEC could have significant implications on the case, as it could determine the extent to which the PDP can obtain and present evidence to support their claims of irregularities and malpractice during the election.
Content created and supplied by: Timupdates (via Opera News )
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