Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are in a war of wits as the opposition PDP has now filed a petition before the Kano Governorship Election Tribunal against the Commission alleging denial to access elections materials.
The PDP is accusing INEC of alleged violation of orders of the court, which instructed the commission to allow them access to electoral materials.
In the petition, PDP accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano, Professor Risqua Shehu Arabic of alleged contempt of court for refusing them access to the elections materials.
The tribunal on 7th of May, 2019 granted PDP access to inspect the electoral materials.
Counsel to PDP, Barrister Bashir Umar told journalists that upon granting the order, the tribunal urged all parties involved, including APC, INEC, PDP to draft schedule within which the inspection of materials begins and completed.
“We have written the legal adviser of INEC, J.B Daudu SAN to notify the chamber of the deliberate attempt to deny us the documents and to further draw public attention. The PDP governorship candidate also paid an unscheduled visit to INEC office in Kano for on-the-spot assessment, yet the condition did not change.
“That was why we were left with no option than to file form 48, which queries INEC’s disobedience of orders of the tribunal.
“We subsequently filed form 49 after there was no response, for the commission to come before the tribunal to explain why it will not be punished for violating or refusing to obey orders of the court,” Bashir explained.
The tribunal has fixed Wednesday 19 June, 2019 for hearing of the PDP application.