PEPC: Atiku called 3 witnesses against Tinubu: What they said

By Wandoo Sombo

The hearing of the petition of the Peoples Democratic Occasion, (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku against the victory of President Tinubu on the February 25 election persevered on Thursday with the petitioners calling three witnesses to characterize their case.

Retired Capt. Joe Agada, the first seek for Atiku told the Presidential Election Petition Court docket, (PEPC) that he used to be allegedly forced to signal the end result sheet of the presidential election.

Agada also told the court docket that various brokers of the birthday celebration have been equally forced to signal the end result sheets of the presidential election at their separate polling items and on the command stage.

Agada, giving his evidence-in-chief sooner than the court docket on Thursday in Abuja acknowledged that he used to be the Kogi Collation Officer for PDP in the Feb. 25 presidential election.

He alleged that ballotpapers and end result sheets have been manipulated by compromised electoral officers in collusion with brokers of various political parties.

Led in evidence by Atiku’s lead counsel, Mr Chris Uche SAN, the hunt for alleged that he used to be characterize in plenty of polling items the place Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines (BVAS) have been manipulated.

Agada told the court docket that he visited over 20 polling items in the command and watched as PDP brokers have been being forced to signal the end result sheets as a condition for the brokers to be given a duplicate of the end result sheet.

Beneath nasty examination by INEC’S attorney, Mr Abdullahi Aliyu, SAN, the hunt for claimed to have voted at Ogugu in Olamaboro nonetheless that he used to be allowed to cross spherical to observe the election thanks to the special election accountability designate supplied by INEC to birthday celebration brokers.

While being nasty examined by Mr Akin Olujimi, SAN, counsel to President Bola Tinubu, the hunt for insisted that he signed the end result sheet handiest because of it turned clear that INEC would preserve it if he didnt signal.

Agada who admitted giving evidence for Atiku in 2019 told the court docket that he didn’t set his grievances against the election in his seek for deposition on oath.

When being nasty examined by Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the hunt for admitted to counting on the data given to him by various brokers of the birthday celebration to plan his conclusions.

For his segment, Mr Solarin Adekunle, the 2d seek for for the petitioners and the Ogun Collation Officer acknowledged that he refused to signal the collated results in narrate against electoral malpractices.

Adekunle particularly alleged that election results have been inflated prompting him to reveal no signing the end result sheets.

For his segment, Score. Uzoma Abonta told the court docket that the election used to be a nullity on the grounds that there have been so many irregularities, discrepancies and non compliance with rules of the electoral act.

Abonta acknowledged that because of INEC didn’t electronically transmit election results, what used to be declared didn’t focal point on the true favor of the folk of Abia the place he is from and the place he voted.

Having called three witnesses, the petitioners asked for an adjournment.

Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned extra hearing in the petition unless Friday.

(NAN)