Our results not uploaded 4 months after presidential election – LP witness – Daily Trust

A witness of the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has told the Presidential Election Petitions Court that the expert analysis of results of the presidential poll shows that four months after the February 25 elections, INEC failed to upload results on IREV.

Led in evidence by LP counsel, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), the witness, Tanko Yunusa, who is the chief spokesman of the LP and the Director of Media of the LP Campaign Council, also testified that INEC allocated results to candidates in the election on Friday.

Under cross examination, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) drew the attention of the witness to a judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which ruled that the commission was entitled to use any means it chooses to collate election results.

He also said he was not aware if the LP appealed against the judgement.

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Counsel for Tinubu and Shettima, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) asked him whether he would want the ‘allocated votes’ of the candidates to be cancelled, including the LP, the witness said yes, since INEC did not follow the required procedure.

Asked by counsel for the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) whether he was aware that in his statement made on March 20, he relied on an expert analysis that was submitted in April, he said he was not aware.

LP and Obi called their final witness, Peter Emmanuel Yari, a polling unit officer of INEC in Tudun Wada, Kaduna State, who testified that the election was smooth but results on the form EC8A could not be ulpoaded to IREV.

He said he called his SPO and took the manual of the result form to his SPO.

PDP, LP, close cases as INEC, Tinubu begin defence July 3

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have concluded their cases at the court.

Both parties, and their presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively, also tendered their final documents and witnesses on Friday.

This is just as the Chairman of the five-member panel of justices, Justice Haruna Tsammani has set July 3 for INEC, President Bola Tinubu, VP Kashim Shettima, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Kabiru Masari to open their defence.

This followed a request by counsel for INEC, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) to allow them begin their case after the Sallah holidays, which was accepted by all the parties.

The PDP legal team led by Chris Uche (SAN) called 27 witnesses while the LP legal team led by Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) called 13 witnesses.

The PDP also tendered its outstanding polling unit result sheets of forms EC8As for Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu and Imo states certified by INEC.

The PDP equally tendered certified copies of academic and work records of Tinubu, which includes a B.Sc certificate from the Chicago State University, NYSC Exemption Certificate, and Mobil Nigeria Oil Plc certificate of service.

The party, through its subpoenaed witness, Mike Enahoro Ebah Esq, also tendered a forwarding letter of a transcript of the South West College in USA in 1977, in which Tinubu allegedly used the name ‘Bola Adekunle Tinubu’ and identified as a female and a US national.

The PDP also tendered certified copies of a notarised judgement of US court on the forfeiture of the sum of $460,000 in narcotics and money laundering settlement, and a copy of Guinean passport against Tinubu.

Led in evidence by PDP counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), the witness also tendered forms EC13 and EC9 nomination forms and the letters written to INEC as attachments.

Counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN); Tinubu, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) and the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) all objected to the admissibility of the documents.

Under cross examination by counsel to INEC counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), the witness denied spending a lot of money to pursue the case against Tinubu, submitting that the lawyer partner in the US obtained the documents free of charge.

The witness, who identified himself as a member of the Obidient Movement, also admitted that he was pained when his candidate lost in the February 25 presidential election.

He admitted that he was not aware of a letter by the US Consulate clearing Tinubu of any wrongdoing.

Counsel for Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) asked him about a pending criminal complaint he filed against Tinubu at the Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja, he said the matter was abated after the presiding judge and the FCT Chief judge declined to hear it.

The lawyer also asked him if he was the right custodian of the academic records tendered in court, he said they were given to him by the school registrar under subpoena.