On Thursday, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, summoned a witness to testify before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja.
The declaration of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the presidential contest held on February 25 is being challenged by Atiku and his party.
During the court’s resumed proceedings, Captain Joe Agada (retired) testified as the State Collation Agent for the PDP in Kogi State during the general election, as the first witness for Atiku.
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During the court proceedings, a witness testified that he had been coerced by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission to sign the results of the presidential election.
The individual alleges that officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to provide him with a copy of the election result to bring back to his political party unless he signed the document.
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During the proceedings, Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, presented a witness who claimed that the presidential election results in Kogi State were rigged. The witness stood by their assertion throughout the hearing.
During his court testimony, he reported that he had personally witnessed the manipulation of BVAS machines in more than 20 polling units.
The individual stated that they acted as their party’s State Collation Agent in addition to casting their vote at Ogene-Oforachi village in Ogugu Ward, Kogi State.
An individual was spotted with a tag and a vehicle bearing a sticker that identified them as being on election duty. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued an exemption tag to the individual, granting them permission to move freely on the day of the election.
The individual had the privilege of visiting several noteworthy polling units within their local government area, although not all polling units were visited.
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During cross-examination by INEC’s counsel, Mr. Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, the witness affirmed that he had witnessed all the manipulations that occurred during the Kogi state election.
The witness declared with conviction to the lords present, asserting their testimony as truthful. During my visit to two Senatorial Districts, I observed the manipulation of BVAS in over 20 polling units. It should be noted that I did not visit all polling units.
According to sources, there are reportedly no less than 3500 polling units in Kogi State, although the exact number remains unconfirmed.
According to the witness, they spent an average of three to five minutes at each polling unit they visited.
During questioning, the witness confirmed that agents of the PDP had indeed signed the result sheets, specifically Forms EC8A, EC8B, and EC8C.
According to sources, there were alleged reports of coercion in Kogi state during the recent elections, as some individuals claimed they were compelled to sign the election results. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly withheld copies of the results until they were signed, leaving some individuals feeling pressured to comply.
During the proceedings, Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN, representing President Tinubu, posed a question to the witness regarding the presence of PDP agents in all polling units across the state. The witness confirmed this to be true.
When questioned about his role as the State Collation Agent for the PDP and whether he signed the result sheet, the individual stated that he was coerced into signing it. He explained that he was threatened with the denial of a copy to present to his party if he did not comply.
During the court proceedings, a witness revealed that he had protested and submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The witness, who had previously served as the State Collation Agent for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, also admitted to appearing as a witness in the 2019 presidential election dispute between Atiku Abubakar and former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2015, the individual declined to sign the outcome. However, INEC did not refuse to provide me with a copy to present to my party at the time. Retired Captain Agada has reported that the INEC official refused to provide him with a copy of the result unless he signed it.
