INEC asks tribunal to modify order granting Obi, Atiku access to election materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the presidential election petition tribunal to amend the orders granted to the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP).

Peter Obi of the LP and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, on Friday, secured leave of the court to have access to all the sensitive materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the election held on February 25.

A panel of the appellate court led by Joseph Ikyegh made the orders on Friday after the court heard two separate ex parte applications filed by the two aggrieved candidates and their political parties.

INEC, in a motion on notice filed on March 4, asked the court to vary the order which restrained it from tampering with materials used for the election.

The commission said it needs to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the governorship and state houses of assembly election.

In one of the reliefs, Obi and LP had sought an order of the court “restraining the 1st respondent (INEC) from tampering with the information embedded in the BVAS machines until due inspection is conducted and Certified True Copies of them issued”.

However, the relief was withdrawn and consequently struck out by the court.