Tribunal gives Shehu Sani access to inspect electoral materials

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, has been granted access to inspect materials used during the February 23 national assembly elections in his constituency.

In the suit dated March 15 and filed on March 18, Sani asked for an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow him inspect materials used during the election.

Sani also asked to be allowed to carry out forensic examination of collation sheets and result sheets of all the polling units in the seven local government areas (LGAs) that make up the constituency.

The order was granted by the tribunal.

Joined as first and second defendants were Uba Sani, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling party.

“That an order is hereby made compelling the 3rd respondent to allow the Petitioners/Applicants or their agents or assigns access to inspect documents (Form EC8 “A”, EC8 E INEC incident forms) and result sheets of all the polling units in the seven Local Government Areas that make up Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone,” the suit read.

“That an order is hereby also made on the 3rd respondent to make available to the Petitioners/Applicants certified true copies (CTC) of collation sheets of all the polling units in the seven (7) Local Government Areas that make up Kaduna Central senatorial zone.”

The senator had contested the senatorial seat under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) but lost to the candidate of the APC.

Uba polled 355,242 votes ahead of the lawmaker’s 70,613 votes.

But the senator said he was robbed of his mandate, alleging that no credible national assembly election was conducted in the state.

The lawmaker had emerged as senator on the platform of the APC in 2015 but defected to PRP when he lost the party’s senatorial ticket.