Election petition: PDP accuses INEC of denying Atiku access to materials

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has refused to obey the March 6, 2019 ruling of the Appeal Court, directing it to allow its Presidential candidate in the just-concluded presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, access to inspect documents and materials used in that election.

In a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said: “It is a deliberate and wicked ploy by INEC, acting in cahoots with the All Progressives Congress (APC), to frustrate the people-backed resolve by Atiku Abubakar and the PDP to timeously file and mention our petition at the Presidential election Tribunal, and by so doing, ambush the case.

“Upon obtaining the lawful order of the Court directing INEC to forthwith avail Atiku Abubakar and the PDP copies of all the documents and other materials used for the Presidential election, our legal team wrote to INEC Chairman on March 11 and 12, 2019 respectively, causing the Order to be served on INEC and requesting access to the said documents and materials.

“However, despite being served with the Order and several follow-ups, INEC leadership has refused to grant PDP and Atiku Abubakar access to the materials and documents, notwithstanding the urgency of the matter.

“This action has further shown that INEC has been heavily compromised by the Buhari Presidency to rig the February 23, 2019 Presidential election and frustrate the quest by Nigerians to reclaim the mandate from President Muhammadu Buhari and save the nation from the crisis of an illegitimate government…”

Advising INEC to note that Nigerians are now aware of its manipulative tendencies and that any further delay in granting access to the materials might attract public odium, the party urged INEC “to end its unpatriotic partisan shenanigans with APC and immediately obey the Court of Appeal and grant PDP and Atiku access to the documents and materials and free itself from unholy entanglement with APC against Nigerians.”