The Kano State election petition tribunal has dismissed a request by the Peoples Democratic Party to carry out a forensic examination of election materials of the last governorship election.
The PDP had petitioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the outcome of the election that produced Umar Ganduje as Kano State Governor.
Maliki Kuliya-Umar, PDP’s counsel also prayed the tribunal to grant the party permission to access photocopies of the needed election materials in line with the Electoral Act.
Aliyu Umar, lead counsel to APC, insisted the tribunal lacks the power to grant PDP’s application.
Similarly, INEC also opposed the application stating that the party could only access electoral materials that are in public domain.
At the ruling, Justice Halima Shamaki, said the tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to authorize forensic examination of electoral materials.
Mrs Shamaki noted that section 151 subsection 5 of the Electoral Act does not permit the tribunal to give such authorization.
She, however, granted the party’s order to examine and make photocopies of the gubernatorial election materials.
The court also directed the parties to begin the execution of the inspection and photocopying of the election materials.
The court asked the parties to agree on a date for continuation of the hearing and communicate the agreed date to it.
The Governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kano received 33 petitions from the just concluded 2019 general elections in the state.
SaharaReporters
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