We had instruction not to give election result copies to party agents – INEC staff testifies
Abedemi Joseph, an employee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Friday that they were instructed not to provide copies of election results to political party agents who refused to sign the results.
The witness disclosed the information while testifying in a petition filed against the election of President Bola Tinubu by former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
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Joseph pleaded with the court to accept her sworn statement as evidence in the petition against Tinubu’s election, as presented by the petitioner’s lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, in the petition’s evidence-in-chief.
Joseph, who served as a presiding officer in Niger State during the 25 February presidential elections, informed the court that she was pleased with the process as instructed.
She clarified that they were instructions to withhold election results from party agents who did not sign the result sheet.
A presiding agent in Edo state during the election testified that she attempted in vain to upload the results of the presidential election to the INEC server.
While another subpoena witness from Kogi State, Grace Ajagbonna, also attested to the election’s peacefulness, she expressed displeasure that she was unable to upload the presidential election as instructed.
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In response to INEC counsel’s inquiry as to whether Ajagbonna was satisfied with the election’s conduct and her work as presiding officer, Ajagbonna stated, “I was not satisfied that I was unable to transmit the results to the server.”
However, INEC, represented by Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN; APC, represented by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; and other respondents objected to the use of affidavits from subpoenaed witnesses to be presented at PEPC in support of Atiku’s petition.
Chris Uche, Atiku’s attorney, urged the court to disregard their objections and grant his request.
The five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani deferred a decision on the applications.
The court has postponed further hearings until June 10.
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