Judiciary
FRIDAY, July 19, was the last day for the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, legal team to prove its case as agreed by both the petitioners and respondents.
Within the last 10 days, the PDP and Atiku/Obi presented 57 witnesses and several documents as evidences to the tribunal to show substantially that the February 23, 2019 Presidential Election was fraught with countless issues of electoral malpractices.
In order to close its case today, the PDP and Atiku/Obi paraded most of its star witnesses. They are:
- David Ayu Nyangor from Kenya (Data Analyst)
- Joseph Gbenga, (Data analyst)
- Captain Joe Agada, PDP state Collation Agent from Kogi State and
- Chief Osita Chidioka (PDP National Collation Agent)
David Nyangor, a data analyst from Kenya proved beyond reasonable doubt that INEC indeed transmitted results of the February 23, 2019 Presidential Election to its central server as promised before the general elections.
Mr. Nyangor told the court that a website named www.factsdontlieng.com was created by one INEC official who was posting all the contents of results from INEC server to the public.
He informed the court that his witness statement on oath which showed that from actual votes cast, the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar won the election was true.
He referred the court to four INEC websites and a whistleblower (An INEC Tech Officer, name withheld) where he got his information from. He also gave the court the format on how to access the INEC central server.
Jospeh Gbenga is also a data analyst but he was Subpoena to testify in court.
His analysis clearly revealed that Presidential Election results from 11 states, including Zamfara were marred with various degrees of malpractices ranging from, over-voting, none compliance with INEC guidelines, ballot box stuffing, etc.
At the end of his analysis, it was proven that results from the 11 states, including Zamfara should be canceled and a rerun ordered in order not to disenfranchise citizens from that part of the country.
Another witness, Captain Joe Agada, a PDP Kogi state collation Agent testified that Elections in four Local Government in the state was marred with violence and ballot box stuffing.
He told the court that there was no election in most part of Dekina and Okene Local Government Areas in Kogi State due to violence and reported that he was surprised that INEC announced results from those units that election did not hold.
He informed the court that because of the discrepancies on the result sheet, he refused to sign the overall result from Kogi state as the state collation agent.
Chief Osita Chidioka was the final witness for the PDP in today’s proceedings, though he was number one on the witness list.
The PDP and Atiku/Obi presented series of documents to the court on behalf of the witness.
He told the court that, for a fact, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu in several stakeholders meetings before the 2019 General Elections told them how the Commission will show transparency by posting every results of the Presidential Election to the server of INEC.
He informed the court that from the reports of the agents of PDP in the units, wards, LGA and states, the final results as declared by the Chairman of INEC, Professor Yakubu on the 27th of February 2019 does not reflect the true position of the actual votes cast.
According to him, INEC failed to comply with its own guidelines in the use of card reader. That accreditation was done in various parts of the country without the use the card reader.
He also told the court that, according to available records, the PDP Presidential Candidate and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, was born in Jadda, Adamawa state and that he is a Nigerian citizen by birth and was the rightful winner of the February 23, 2019 Presidential election.
The PDP also tabled several evidences as follows:
- Kano State – 7 LGA polling units result sheets totaling 1,266 and 87 LGA results
- CTC receipts – 38
They were all admitted in court in evidence.
Recall that the Court had Subpoena INEC Chairman to appear in court with electoral materials as requested by the PDP and Atiku/Obi. Those materials were presented to the court today.
- Polling uni results – 3,721
- LGA results- 166 and
- Zamfara state – 6
- Summary of collation at state levels – 38 copies
- Summary of collation at National level – 1
- Summary of registered voters of polling units where election did not hold – 7
- Summary of registered voters – 1
- Reports from the card reader accreditation on the 2019 Presidential election – 1
- Reports of all PVC used in the 2019 Presidential Election from the card reader – 291,053
- INEC 2019 Presidential election declaration of results as published in INEC website – 1
The documents were not rejected by INEC but were rejected by both Buhari and APC counsel.
The documents were however admitted in court in evidence.
The court has adjourned to July 29, 2019 to enable the respondents prepare for their defense .
BE
– July 20, 2019 @ 14:10 GMT |
Tags: Presidential Election Tribunal Proceedings Summary of July 19
