From Paul Orude Bauchi
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, has been granted permission to inspect materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the March 18, 2023 governorship poll.
The permission was given by the Governorship, National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Bauchi.
The order followed an ex parte motion filled by the applicants: Sadique Baba Abubakar and All Progressive Congress APC through their counsel, Rilwanu A. Jibrin, who is holding brief for Ishaq Magaji (SAN) with No EPT/BA/GOV/01M/2023.
In the motion, Abubakar prayed for an order granting leave to the applicants to move the application outside the pre-hearing session. The plaintiff is seeking an order of manual and physical inspection of all materials used in the conduct of the governorship election in Bauchi and the printouts of the complete duly accredited voters in Bauchi state governorship election held on 18, March to the INEC portal through Biomodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS).
The APC and its candidate are requesting for the Biomodal Voters Authentication System (BVAS) report of Bauchi governorship election, all ballot papers used and unused at the election as well as voters register used for the Bauchi State governorship election held on 18 March 2023.
The plaintiff also requested for the certified true copies of the nomination form with affidavit support and academic qualifications of the PDP candidate in the last governorship election in the state.
Ruling on the motion, the Chairman of the Bauchi State Petition Tribunal Justice Flora Azinge granted the request.
She said: “That leave is hereby granted to the applicants to move the application outside the pre-hearing season.
“That an order is hereby made permitting for the purpose of maintaining and prosecuting its petition to take Certified True Copies and conduct manual/physical inspection of all electoral materials used in the conduct of the governorship election in Bauchi state held on 18 day of March 2023.
“That an order further directing the 3rd respondent (INEC) and any other agents of the 3rd respondent to allow the petitioner/applicant and or their counsel to inspect and it deem it necessary make procure true copies of the documents stated on the face of the motion paper.”