The first witness called by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his party, in their joint petition challenging the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election, told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja, on Thursday that he and other agents of the PDP were forced to sign the result sheets of the last presidential election in their separate polling units and at the state level.
The witness, Captain Joe Agada (Rtd) revealed that they signed the result sheets under duress when it became clear that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would not avail them of the result sheets.
In his evidence in chief, Captain Agada who claimed to be the Kogi State Collation Officer for the PDP in the February 25 presidential election alleged that ballot papers and result sheets were manipulated by compromised electoral officers in collusion with agents of other political party.
Led in evidence by Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), the witness alleged that he was present in several polling units where Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) were manipulated in favour of a particular party.
Agada revealed that he visited over 20 polling units in two Senatorial Districts of Kogi State and watched where forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C were signed under duress by the PDP agents as a condition for the agents to be issued with the result sheets.
Under cross examination by INEC’s counsel, Abdullahi Aliyu (SAN), the witness claimed to have voted at Ogugu in Olamaboro but that he was allowed to move round to monitor the election because of the Special Election Duty Tag provided him by INEC.
Also, under cross examination by Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), counsel to President Tinubu, the witness maintained that he endorsed the collated State Result of the election when the reality dawned on him that he would be denied a copy of the result sheet.
Answering a question, Captain Agada who admitted giving evidence for Atiku in 2019 admitted that he did not put his grievances against the election in his witness deposition on oath.
When cross examined by Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on behalf of the APC, the witness admitted basing his report on the information supplied him by other agents of the party. (Nigerian Tribune)
In his own evidence, Dr Solarin Sunday Adekunle, the Ogun State Collation Officer said that he refused to sign the collated results in protest against electoral malpractices.
He specifically alleged that election results were inflated prompting him to decline signing the result sheets.
The third witness, Barrister Uzoma Nkem Abonta told the Court that the election was a nullity on account of so many irregularities, discrepancies, and noncompliance with rules of the election.
Abonta said, because INEC failed to electronically transmit elections results, what was declared did not reflect the genuine wish of the people of Abia State.
Meanwhile, the five-member panel of Justices of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned further hearing in the petition till June 2, 2023.
