Tribunal did NOT reject my request to inspect INEC server -Atiku

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the presidential election tribunal did not reject his request to inspect the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He spoke in reaction to a statement from a presidential spokesperson describing the judgement of the tribunal as “victory against propaganda”.

According to the former vice-president, the tribunal only ruled that the request being sought is not relevant at its current stage of hearing.

“The request by Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party to inspect the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission was NOT rejected,” Paul Ibe, his spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“What the honourable Tribunal said is that it is still at preliminary stages and the main case HAS NOT begun and that the matter of granting access to inspect the INEC server is not relevant to the preliminary stages. It is a matter to be adjudicated upon when the case proper is being heard.”

The statement added that not only did Abubakar win the presidential election in February, “but that the administration of General Muhammadu Buhari lacks executive temperament and capacity as we will now establish.”

“In their rush to claim a Pyrrhic victory, the General Buhari administration missed out the fact that the 2019 budget has multiple line items for procurement, maintenance and service of the server they claim does not exist.” it added.

“In the light of this, we remind those who are gloating in their ignorance that ‘he who laughs last, laughs best’. The last has not been heard of this matter and we eagerly anticipate the ACTUAL ruling of the Tribunal when the case proper begins.”

The PDP’s request to inspect the said server was premised on its arguments that results from the electronic platform shows Abubakar defeated President Muhammadu Buhari.