The Court of Appeal on Friday granted Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, permission to inspect documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the recent presidential election in the country.
The permission is sequel to two separate Exparte Applications filed by Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party who came second and third respectively in the presidential election won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Both candidates claimed non-compliance in addition to violence and rigging marred the conduct and outcome of the election.
At separate media briefing on Thursday in Abuja, the duo vowed to ventilate their grievances at the soon to be constituted Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. They therefore approached the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, for permission to inspect the materials used by INEC in the conduct of the election.
While arguing the motion, Atiku’s lawyer, Adedamola Faloku, prayed the court to grant the Exparte application brought before it pursuant to Section 146 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022, Paragraph 47 (1, 2 &3) of the first Schedule of the Electoral Act of 2022 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the Court as referenced by Section 6 (6) A & B of the 1999 Constitution.
In the other application, Obi’s lawyer, Mr Alex Ejeseme SAN, prayed the appellate court to grant the reliefs sought in the motion exparte in the interest of justice.
After listening to the applicants, the presiding Justice, Joseph Ikyegh subsequently granted the request of the two applicants.
Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu had declared Tinubu winner of the February 25 presidential election after securing majority of votes cast at the poll. He also met the constitutional benchmark of scoring 25% in two thirds of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
