In a crucial development in the ongoing presidential election petition case, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) submitted personal information provided by President Bola Tinubu to the Presidential Election Petition Court on Thursday. This move comes as part of the court’s subpoena issued to the Chairman of INEC, Yakubu Mahmoud.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have contested the victory of Bola Tinubu, the candidate from the All Progressives Congress, in the presidential election held on February 25. Seeking to prove the invalidity of Tinubu’s election, the PDP disclosed on Tuesday that they had subpoenaed the INEC chairman to produce specific documents before the court.
During the proceedings, Chris Uche (SAN), the lawyer representing the PDP, informed the court that the INEC chair had brought some of the requested documents through a Deputy Director of the commission named M.O. Tairu. Uche further stated that the INEC chair had tendered form EC8D, which comprises the results from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, along with form EC8DA, the final declaration of the results. Additionally, Tairu presented the accredited data from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System pertaining to Rivers State.
See Also: Why Atiku Should Quit Presidential Race – Tinubu
All parties involved, including INEC, raised objections regarding the admissibility of the documents. A.B. Mahmoud, the counsel for INEC, asserted that the petitioners had yet to pay for the certification of the documents. However, Uche countered by stating that the required sum of N6.7 million had already been paid to the first respondent and argued that the documents were produced as per the court’s orders.
Justice Tsammani, leading the five-member panel of the court, admitted the documents as evidence and marked them as exhibits. The court subsequently adjourned further hearing in the petition until June 16.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the PEPC admitted data analysis of the presidential election results from February 25, along with their corresponding appendices, as evidence in Peter Obi’s petition against Bola Tinubu. The court also admitted blurred results from 18,088 polling units obtained from the INEC results viewing portal.
Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the lawyer representing Obi, called Professor Eric Ofoedu, an expert in mathematics, as a witness to present a data analysis report on the election. The five-member panel announced a brief adjournment until the next day (Friday) to allow the respondents’ counsel to cross-examine the professor.
Furthermore, Lumnie Edevbie, a staff member of Arise News, appeared as a witness for the Labour Party. Edevbie, led in evidence by Patrick Ikweato (SAN), submitted a flash drive containing a video clip showing INEC Chairman Yakubu Mahmoud delivering a speech at Chatham House in London on January 17. In the speech, Mahmoud advocated for the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the IRev as the commission’s primary archive and repository for election results.
The developments in the presidential election petition case highlight the ongoing legal battle between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, focusing on the validity of Bola Tinubu’s election as president. As the court proceedings progress, further evidence and testimonies are being presented, shaping the narrative of the case.
Source: PunchNG