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PDP, Atiku file motion before tribunal to examine INEC's card readers, others

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed an ex parte application before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give it access to inspect materials used for the 2019 presidential election.
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, with the PDP's national chairman, Uche Secondus
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, with the PDP's national chairman, Uche Secondus

The party's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lost the February 23 election to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but the former vice president has rejected the result and has vowed to contest it in court.

In a motion, dated March 4, 2019, filed by Chief Chris Uche (SAN) on behalf of Atiku and the PDP, the aggrieved parties asked the tribunal to compel INEC to grant them permission to inspect the Voters Registers, the Smart Card Reader Machines, ballot papers and other vital documents used to conduct the election.

The motion also appealed to the tribunal to compel INEC to allow party agents scan and make photocopies of vital documents used for the election so as to establish allegations of electoral malpractices committed during the election.

INEC, President Buhari and the ruling APC were listed as the three respondents in the motion.

The aggrieved parties noted that the inspection was for the purpose of filing and maintaining an election petition they intend to lodge against the result announced by INEC which crowned Buhari as the winner with 15,191,847 of the total votes cast while Atiku gained 11,262,978 votes.

A date is yet to be scheduled for the hearing of the motion.

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