National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its candidate, Ahmed Ahmed Tijjani, to inspect election materials used for the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory senatorial election.
Tijjani and his party dragged INEC, Senator Ireti Kingibe and Labour Party before the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.
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INEC declared Senator Kingibe as winner of the election and returned her as the senator-elect of the FCT.
Shortly after the result of the election was announced, the NNPP candidate alleged that the logo of his party was missing in some polling units in the FCT.
He also alleged that his party agents were denied INEC tags and called for the cancellation of the election.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Pius Idiong, in the order dated March 15, 2023, directed the electoral umpire to allow counsel or agent of the NNPP candidate to conduct manual or physical inspection of the electoral materials.
Justice Idiong, “An order directing the Respondent to permit the Applicants and or their Counsel and/or agents to conduct manual/physical inspection, copy, photocopy and obtain certified true copies of all documents and or materials used in the conduct of the general elections for Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District held on the 25th of February, 2023 which includes but not
limited to: Form EC 8 A(i), Form 8B, Form EC 8 B (i), Form EC 8 B (ii) FCT. Abuja.
“The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) report of the election. INEC Result Viewing (IREV) report of the election. Voters Register used in all the polling units in all the Area Council comprising the Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District Abuja.
“The statement of Results from all the polling units where election took place in all the Area Councils comprising the Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District Abuja (EC8A(ii).
“The summary of results entered in Forms EC8B(ii) in respect of all the wards in all the Area Councils comprising the Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District Abuja.
“The summary of results entered in Forms EC8C in respect of all the Area Councils comprising the Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District Abuja.
“Record of the list of Permanent Voters Card collected in the entire wards in all the Area Councils comprising the Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District Abuja.
“Record of the list of Permanent Voters Card uncollected in the entire wards in all the Area Councils comprising the Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District Abuja.”
In the petition, the party and its candidate said they are aggrieved and dissatisfied with the said return of the Senator Kingibe, the Labour Party candidate as the winner of the election.
According to them, the documents sought to be inspected, copied, photocopied, scanned and Certified True Copies obtained are materials used by INEC during the conduct of the election on 25th February, 2023.