The ongoing Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has witnessed the presentation of two additional witnesses by Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Alongside Atiku, the Labour Party and its candidate have also submitted video evidence to support their claims of irregularities during the presidential election. Let’s delve into the details of their testimonies and the significance they hold in challenging the election outcome.
Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the PDP have taken their case to the PEPC, aiming to challenge the results of the Feb. 25 presidential election. Their contention is that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not conduct the election in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. To bolster their case, Atiku has called two additional witnesses to testify and provide evidence of the alleged irregularities.
The Labour Party and its candidate have also presented compelling evidence in the form of a video. The video showcased the chairman of INEC reassuring Nigerians in a broadcast that the electoral process would be free, fair, and credible. This evidence seeks to establish a contrast between the promises made by INEC and the actual events that transpired during the election.
During the court session, a subpoenaed witness named Ms. Alheri Ayuba expressed her dissatisfaction with her inability to upload the results from her polling unit onto the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV). She explained that she filled a form at the ward center, highlighting her frustration at the transmission failure. Ms. Ayuba clarified that she was not influenced or induced by any politician before or during the election, emphasizing the independence of her actions.
Another subpoenaed witness, Ms. Sadiya Haruna, testified that various challenges marred the election process. She revealed that her Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine malfunctioned, leading her to manually enter the results at her polling unit. Haruna informed the court that she then submitted the manually collated result to her ward collation officer, with party agents monitoring the entire process. She also mentioned taking a snapshot of the result, although she couldn’t confirm if it was retained in the BVAS machine.
The presentation of video evidence and testimonies by additional witnesses adds depth to the ongoing proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court. Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the Labour Party are focused on highlighting irregularities that occurred during the presidential election, contesting the credibility of the process. The court will carefully examine the evidence provided and make a determination based on the claims presented.