The presidential tribunal has rejected request of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to inspect the server used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2019 general election.
Okay.ng understands that the five-member panel ruling on the application unanimously refused the request, saying the request could not be granted because issues had been joined by parties over the existence or otherwise of the server.
Channels TV reported that the judges said it was impossible for the tribunal to delve into the server issue at the interlocutory stage of the panel’s sittings.
The PDP and Abubakar, through their lawyers, led by Levy Uzoukwu, asked the tribunal to compel INEC to grant them access to the server and smart card readers used in the conduct of the election.
But the counsel representing INEC, Yunus Usman, in a counter affidavit asked the court to dismiss the application.
“They are asking us to bring something we do not have,” Mr Usman said.
He further called the attention of the tribunal to its judgment of March 6 granting PDP access to inspect only election materials without the server.