Tribunal Rejects Atiku’s Prayer For Forensic Analysis of Election Materials.

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has rejected the request by candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party to be allowed to conduct forensic scanning and analysis of materials used for the February 23 presidential election.

The tribunal said such request was beyond the scope of the provisions of Section 151(1) & (2) of the Electoral Act (as amended).

In a unanimous ruling on an ex-parte application by Atiku and PDP, a three-man panel of the tribunal granted them the permission to inspect the materials and obtain certified true copies (CTC) of the materials.

In the lead ruling read by the leader or the panel, Justice Abdul Aboki, said the request by Atiku and PDP to call experts to engae in forensic anylysis and scaning of INEC materials was outside the scope of the meaning of inspection under Section 151 of the Electoral Act.