The Presidential Election Petitions Court has accepted Meta data of polling unit results presented by a Labour Party cyber security expert and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Dr. Chibuike Ugwuoke, a cyber security expert, also presented the URI of a letter titled “Alleged Plot To Abandon The Transmission Of Polling Unit Results To INEC Portal” dated November 16, 2022, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lawyers for INEC, the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima all objected to the documents’ admissibility.
However, the documents were admitted as exhibits by the five-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani.
Following that, LP presented certified reports of the total number of registered voters and PVCs collected in 32 states, a certificate of compliance for Edo State, and supplementary IREV reports for three local governments in Benue, 12 in Lagos, and one in Gombe states through its lawyer, Peter Afuba (SAN).
The LP’s subpoenaed witnesses, including an NGO observer, Onoja Oloko Sunday of the Women and Child Rescue Initiative, and Kefas Iyah, an INEC ad hoc staff member, testified that while the National Assembly results could be easily transmitted, the presidential results could not.
When questioned, the witnesses admitted that every other aspect of the election went smoothly.
They also admitted that they were subpoenaed in their personal capacity.
APM’s final addresses fixed for July 14
The court has also slated July 14 for final written address in the petition by the Allied People’s Movement (APM) in the petition challenging the presidential election of February 25.
The chairman of the panel, Justice Tsammani, slated the date after the conclusion of the petition by parties.
Earlier, the APM and its presidential candidate, Chichi Ojei called their witness, Aisha Abubakar to testify in the matter.
Abubakar, who is the welfare officer of the political party, testified that Tinubu ought to be disqualified on account of the double nomination of his running mate, Kashim Shettima on July 14, 2022 while he was still the senatorial candidate of the party in Borno Central.
However, under cross examination by INEC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), she is not aware that Shettima and APC submitted a letter dated July 6, 2022 informing INEC of his withdrawal as senatorial candidate.
Responding to a question by counsel to APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) about the judgment of the Supreme Court dismissing a similar suit by the PDP, the witness said she was aware of the judgement.