Abba-Ganduje: Tribunal Okays PDP Photocopies Of Electoral Materials

By Bashir Inuwa

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano on Tuesday granted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) prayer of making photocopies of the materials used in the conduct of the gubernatorial election.

The Justice Halima Shamaki led tribunal in a ruling on the motion on notice filed by the PDP and its gubernatorial candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf requesting the tribunal to ordered INEC grant it permission to inspect the electoral materials and make photocopies, granted the prayer.

Justice Halima Shamaki ordered INEC to allow inspection of the electoral materials and photocopy but not scanning or forensic in the presence of all the parties in the suit.

Solacebase recalled that  Counsel to Abba Kabiru Yusuf and PDP, Maliki Kuliya Umar, had sought the tribunal to allow extension of period to access, obtain scan and photocopies of electoral materials in a motion on notice before the tribunal

Although lead  counsel to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and All Progressive Congress (APC) Aliyu Umar, Senior Advocate of Nigeria,  challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to grant PDP prayers to photocopy and scan the electoral materials.

Relying on section 151 subsection 5 of the electoral Act 2010, the Senior Advocate insisted the court is only empowered only to grant access, hereby calling for outright dismissal of PDP application.

Justice Halima Shamaki then directed the parties to go for the inspection and photocopies of the electoral materials and agreed on a date for continuation of the matter.