The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday tendered documents in their joint petition challenging the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the said election.
The documents tendered through Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), who represented the petitioners at the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting Abuja include, Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the print out of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), in respect of 33 states of the Federation with the exception of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Lagos state.
Other documents tendered from the Bar by counsel to Atiku Abubakar and his party are the CTCs of form EC8As, being election results from Local Government Areas, as downloaded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Abia state, along with certificate of compliance. Other documents are Forms EC8As for Bayelsa, Kaduna and Ogun states, which were duly certified by INEC.
Also tendered are Forms EC8Es (States’ election results) from Kaduna and Kogi states, EC8Cs of 20 LGs of Kaduna which were also certified by INEC and CTCs of Form EC40 G from Kaduna and Ogun States.
Meanwhile, Kemi Pinhero, Emmanuel Ukala and Lateef Fagbemi, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), representing INEC, Tinubu and APC respectively, in the petition objected to the admissibility of the documents which were all certified by INEC. The respondents however, reserved their arguments till the address stage.
The court adjourned till Thursday, June 1 for continuation of hearing of the petition.
Meanwhile, the ill-health of two key staff in the secretariat of the Labour Party on Wednesday, stalled the hearing of the petition the party and its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi lodged before the PEPC, challenging Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
The five member panel of Justices of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani had, on Tuesday fixed Wednesday for further hearing in their petition by 9 am and 2 pm for the hearing of the petition filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate, who are also challenging Tinubu’s election.
Obi and his party were expected to continue with the presentation of their case by calling more witnesses and tendering documents, for which the court allocated time to them.
When the petition was called on Wednesday morning, Counsel to Obi and the Labour Party, Awa Kalu (SAN) told the court that they had planned to start with tendering of documents, but are constrained by some challenges at their secretariat.
Kalu told the court that two key staff of the petitioners took ill, making it impossible for them to proceed with the business of the day and prayed the court for an adjournment till Thursday.
INEC’s Counsel Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), that of Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the APC did not object to Kalu’s request for adjournment.
Mahmoud however urged the court to record the day against the petitioners and deduct it from the number of days earlier allocated to them to present their case.
In his ruling, Justice Tsammani granted Kalu’s request and adjourned till 9 am on Thursday for continuation of hearing of the petition.
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