Why tribunal granted Buhari, APC’s request to inspect presidential election materials

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has granted access to President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to inspect the materials used for the conduct of the election.

The tribunal, led by Justice Abdu Aboki, gave the go-ahead on Thursday following the applications filed on behalf of the President and the ruling party by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Wole Olanipekun, and other prominent lawyers.
In their separate ex parte applications for the order of inspection, President Buhari and the APC pleaded that they be given access to the materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in conducting the February 23 presidential poll.

They explained that this would enable them to defend themselves in any petition which the runner-up in the poll and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), planned to file.

The tribunal said it found merit in the appeal and ordered INEC to give the plaintiffs access to the materials for the purpose of inspection and to make photocopies of same.

It had granted a similar order to the PDP and its presidential candidate on March 6, allowing them to inspect the electoral materials to enable them to file and maintain their petition against the outcome of the presidential election.
The order also gives Atiku and the PDP liberty to obtain the certified through copies of the documents from the electoral umpire.