Atiku VS Buhari: President’s Lawyer Seeks To Play Counter – Video Exhibit To Tribunal

In a bid to counter an earlier video played by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, President Muhammadu Buhari’s lead counsel at the Monday’s proceedings of the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, Alex Izinyon, SAN has asked for permission to play a video clip.

Abubakar and his party, PDP in their petition are challenging the victory of Buhari and his All Progressives Congress, APC in the February 23, 2019 election.

Buhari, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC are the respondents to the petition.

Recall that Justice Mohammed Garba who is leading the five-man tribunal had earlier dismissed the objection by the respondents’ lawyers to the admissibility and the playing of 48 Video Compact Discs tendered by the petitioners.

According to reports, the petitioners, through their lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), played the video clips which were produced by their 40th petitioners’ witnesses, Segun Showunmi, who is the media adviser and spokesperson for Atiku.

Reports further said three of the video clips played on Monday included an interview a Resident Electoral Commission of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mike Iginni, granted on Sunday Politics programme of Channels Television when he said the results of the election would be transmitted to INEC’s server.

Another one showed Army officials, on Channels TV, denying Buhari’s claim that his West African School Certificate was with the Army.

The third one showed INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Channels TV, meeting with members of Computer Professionals and Practitioners ‎in Nigeria, and expressing hope that electronic transmission would be deployed for the 2019 general elections.

Showunmi under cross-examination by INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), confirmed that the three video clips were recorded before the February 23, 2019 poll.

He was asked if he was aware of an interview granted Channels Television by INEC chairman on February 5, 2019, when he was said to have declared that electronic transmission of results would not be used for the 2019 general elections.

Showunmi said he would possibly have the clip.

He repeated the same response during cross-examination by Buhari’s lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN).

At that point, Izinyon brought out a video CD, which he sought permission to play to the tribunal with the television and video player earlier used by the petitioners.

But the petitioners’ lawyer, Uche, rose to raise an objection to the effect that he would not allow the respondent to play his VCD with the equipment provided by the petitioners.

He said among other things that allowing the playing of the VCD on the equipment could introduce virus into it.

He said, although the VCD was not “pleaded” as part of Buhari’s proposed exhibits, he would not object to the playing of the clip on the equipment provided by the respondents’ teams.

Izinyon then sought and obtained an adjournment of the proceedings to enable him to produce his equipment on Thursday.

Subsequently, the tribunal adjourned the matter till Thursday for continuation of Showunmi’s cross-examination.