Kano: Tribunal grants PDP’s request to photocopy electoral materials

Kano governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Kano, has granted the Peoples Democratic Party’s prayer to be allowed to make photocopies of the electioneering materials used in the conduct of the gubernatorial election in the state.

The prayer, filed before the tribunal, by Counsel to PDP gubernatorial candidate Abba Kabiru Yusuf and PDP, Maliki Kuliya Umar, sought the tribunal’s permission to allow an extension of period for access, obtain scan and photocopies of electoral materials as contained in a motion on notice before the tribunal.

In a ruling, the Justice Halima Shamaki-led tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant PDP permission to inspect the electoral materials and make photocopies as requested.

However, counsel to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and All Progressives Congress (APC), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Aliyu Umar, challenged the tribunal’s jurisdiction in granting PDP’s prayers to photocopy and scan the electoral materials by referring to section 151 subsection 5 of the electoral Act 2010, stating that the court was only empowered to grant access, hereby calling for outright dismissal of PDP’s application.

But the tribunal ignored APC’s prayers and directed the parties to commence execution of the inspection and photocopying of the electioneering materials.

It further directed both parties to agree on a date for continuation of the hearing and communicate to it.