Presidential Poll: Atiku, PDP make u-turn, withdraw fresh application against INEC

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday withdrew a fresh application they filed to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow their agents participate in the process of sorting out ballot papers used in the February 25 presidential election.

Persecondnews reports that the duo, who are separately contesting the results of the election which was declared in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, informed the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja that they were no longer interested in the application.

Atiku, through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), told the court that he had filed a notice of discontinuance when the motion ex-parte marked: CA/PEC/10M/2023, was called up for hearing on Wednesday.

Atiku had in the withdrawn application, which he predicated on 11 grounds, maintained that it was necessary for agents of his party to be present during the sorting out of the electoral materials which he would need to prepare a petition against the outcome of the presidential election.

According to the presidential candidate, there was need for his agents to observe and participate in the sorting of materials he requested in all the offices of INEC nationwide in line with the ex-parte order the court made on March 3.

The tribunal had in the said order, directed INEC to allow the Applicants, Atiku and PDP, to inspect, scan, and carry out forensic examination and analysis of the ballot papers, data form, BVAS/and or card readers, including photocopying of the ballot papers, information stored in the computer server/IREV.

Atiku further argued that allowing the agents of his party to be on ground while the materials are sorted out would ensure transparency in the process and guarantee that the ballot papers would not be tampered with.

Persecondnews recalls that INEC had declared Tinubu of the APC winner of the February 25 poll contested by 17 other candidates.

According to INEC, Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku who polled a total of 6,984,520 votes and Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.

Both PDP and LP have since rejected the outcome of the election and vowed to challenge results in court.