Tribunal allows APC’s Sadique Abubakar to check election materials

The Governorship, National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal, sitting in Bauchi, on Thursday, granted leave to former Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar of the APC, to inspect sensitive materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 18 governorship election in the state.

Abubakar contested and lost the Bauchi governorship election to Gov. Bala Mohammed of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as declared by INEC.

A two-member panel, led by Justice F.N Azinge, gave the order in Bauchi, following an ex-parte application filed by the candidate and his party.

Those involved in the matter are Gov. Bala Mohammed and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as INEC.

Earlier, Mr Rilwan Jibrin, holding the brief for Ishaq Magaji SAN, the lead counsel to the applicant, prayed the court to compel INEC to allow his client to obtain documents in the Commission’s custody used for the election.

He said the documents would aid his petition against the emergence of PDP’s Bala Mohammed as the winner of the election.

In her ruling, Azinge said that the application had merit and was granted accordingly.

She, therefore, ordered INEC to make available all the election materials used for the conduct of the Bauchi election to the applicant, his agents and counsel.

“The petitioners are to take certified copies and conduct manual and physical inspection of all the electoral materials used in the conduct of the Bauchi governorship election held on the 18th March, 2023,” he said.

Supreme reports that on March 20, INEC declared Mohammed the winner of the election having polled 525,280 votes while his closest rival, Sadique Abubakar of APC polled 432,272 votes.