INEC Finally Grants Labour Party Access To Inspect Election Materials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has granted the Labour Party (LP) and its lawyers,  access to inspect materials used for the February 25 presidential and national assembly election.

Spokesperson of party’s presidential campaign council, Tanko Yunusa, confirmed the development on Monday

“Yes, they have granted us access, we are meeting with the chairman now. We have our team of lawyers and technical experts with us”, Tanko told newsmen.

Diplomatic Diary reports that the LP had threatened to mobilize for a nationwide protest if the commission refuses to comply with the judgement of the Court of Appeal allowing the party to inspect election materials.

The Court of Appeal had issued an order allowing Obi, the LP, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to inspect materials used for the February 25 presidential election, which INEC declared was won by Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

INEC, on March 4, filed a motion on notice, praying the court to vary the orders to enable the commission to reconfigure accreditation machines used for the election to enable their use for the forthcoming governorship and state assembly elections.

The appellate court, at its discretion, allowed INEC to reconfigure the BVAS but insisted that its earlier order granting Obi access to election materials still exists.

INEC, in reaction to the ruling, stated, “We wish to reiterate that the commission is not against litigants inspecting election materials. Consequently, it will continue to grant all litigants access to the materials they require to pursue their cases in court.”

However, Labour and its team of lawyers, alleged that the Electoral Commission had frustrated its move to inspect the materials following the ruling of the Court.

-diplomatic diary