2023: We’ll Counter Atiku’s Petition Against Tinubu With Two Witnesses, INEC Tells Tribunal
The Independent National Electoral Commission has informed the Presidential Election Petition Court on Saturday that it plans presenting two witnesses in defence of the victory of President-elect, Bola Tinubu, at the presidential polls.
INEC’s lawyer, A.B. Mahmoud SAN, disclosed this in open court during a pre-hearing session on the petition filed by the People’s Democratic party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
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THE WHISTLER gathered from processes of the Commission before the court that it intends to bring some in-house staff members as witnesses against Atiku’s petition and that of the Labour party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
Some of the staff members work in the ICT Department of INEC and the Commission will leverage on their testimonies to contend the petitioners’ claim that it deliberately blocked real-time transmission of results to favour Tinubu.
The Commission will also rely on electoral materials used during the presidential election.
On their part, the legal team of Atiku and PDP led by Chris Uche SAN, revealed before the court that they have 100 witnesses that will substantiate their claims that the 2023 presidential poll was rigged especially with regard to INEC’s failure to transmit results to the INEC Results Viewing Portal, IReV, in real time.
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THE WHISTLER saw from the PDP processes before the court that among its witnesses include the party’s “national collation agents”.
As seen on Atiku’s petition by our correspondent, he also intends to “subpoena (invite) PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to produce Quality Assurance Report and to testify; subpoena Activate Technologies Limited – BVAS Supplier and Emperor Technology Limited to produce relevant supply documents and to testify.”
Meanwhile, Tinubu’s lawyers said they had 39 witnesses against Atiku’s petition while the All Progressives Congress said it would call 25 witnesses.
THE WHISTLER reports that the essence of the pre-hearing session is to guide the court and lawyers to narrow issues to meet up with the 180 days constitutionally approved time for the conclusion of election tribunals.
