Tribunal orders INEC, APC to avail PDP documents

The Plateau state Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Jos, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to supply Senator Jeremiah Useni and the PDP all the relevant documents they need to support their petitions filed before the tribunal.

This was sequel to an oral application made by the petitioners’ senior counsel, Edward Pwajok (SAN), Thursday demanding these documents.

Pwajok had informed the tribunal that the electoral umpire has so far failed to comply with its earlier order to make available to the petitioners the certified true copies of “forms, voters registers and any other relevant documents the applicants may request for the purpose of instituting and/or maintaining the applicants’ petition”.

The petitioners’ counsel said despite paying INEC the sum of N4m which he described as “good money”, the INEC was yet to allow his team full access to all the requested election documents; “this is very unfair, my lords.”

When the tribunal chairman, Justice H. A. Saleeman sought to know from INEC why it had only partially complied with its order, counsel to INEC Clement Onwuenwunor denied that it was deliberate.

Instead he said: “We are working on it, it is not our intention to deny the petitioners access to documents which are in our custody. We assure the honourable court that we will liaise with the petitioners and comply accordingly.”

Justice Saleeman said if the electoral umpire feels unable to allow access to the relevant documents, it must state explain same in writing and submit to the tribunal.

Meanwhile, Useni has forwarded to the tribunal a fresh tranche of nine certified documents. These are: copies of results from various polling units in Mangu, Bokkos and Jos East local government areas.

Counsel to the APC and INEC have indicated that they will make their objections respect of the documents demanded in their final address to the tribunal.

Tribunal chairman, Justice Saleeman, received and coded the exhibits as P44A – P50A, accordingly.

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