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Tag: Tribunal

  • Tribunal: Atiku, PDP to close case against Tinubu June 22

    Tribunal: Atiku, PDP to close case against Tinubu June 22

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his party will on Thursday, close their case at the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) in their joint petition challenging the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.

    The petitioners, according to a pre-hearing report were supposed to close their case on Tuesday.

    However, at the resumed hearing of the petition, the petitioner’s lead counsel, Mr Chris Uche, SAN told the court that his clients lost two days out of the days allotted to them and prayed the court to allow them two more days.

    The court agreed with Uche because one of the days lost was the Democracy Day Public Holiday of June 12.

    Earlier, Uche told the court that in spite of the spirit of cooperation that the court had appealed for, it was still difficult to get Certified True Copies (CTC) of documents from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to him, getting documents from INEC is like asking your opponents for weapons.

    He said that thay had asked INEC for Form EC8A series for all the 36 states and the FCT but had gotten only 14 batches so far.

    The senior counsel said that the documents were brought to them in court by INEC and that although certified by the commission, they had not been sorted out in a proper manner.

    “These are forms EC8A series from the 35 states and we will start with Abia, and after tendering it, all parties will come together to ensure that they are sorted out properly’’.

    This, however, did not go down well with the court and other counsel.

    Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, told the court that the documents even though certified, had not been paid for, adding that, it was the responsibility of the petitioners to sort out documents they subpoenaed.

    The Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Tsammani decided to stand down the matter for about 10 minutes to allow counsel decide on how to proceed.

    When the ten minutes elapsed, Uche prayed the court for an adjournment to allow his team prepare a schedule on how to tender the documents to the court on Wednesday.

    The court subsequently adjourned hearing of the petition until Wednesday.

    Speaking to newsmen after the court session, Uche said that ordinarily, the petitioners would have closed their case on Tuesday.

    “We are closing our case on Thursday, it was supposed to end today but because we lost two days, one of which was the June 12 public holiday, the court graciously extended our time by two days.”

    The petitioners who said during the pre-hearing session that they would call 100 witnesses have called only 25 of them so far.

    Uche said that they might call an additional five witnesses to have a round figure of 30 witnesses.

    The senior lawyer, however, said that some of the documents they seek to tender in the remaining two days would take the place of the remaining 70 witnesses.

    INEC, President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) are expected to open their case when the petitioners close theirs.

  • Presidential election result: Dino Melaye told PEPC

    Presidential election result: Dino Melaye told PEPC

    Sen. Dino Melaye, a star witness of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party has told the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) that the final result of the presidential election was wrongly computed and announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Melaye, the 22nd witness of the petitioners made the assertion on Friday in Abuja.

    Led in evidence by the petitioner’s lead counsel, Mr Chris Uche, SAN, Melaye who told the court that he was PDP’s National Collation Agent, identified himself as a businessman and a politician.

    The witness said that the presidential result, as announced by INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, was wrongly computed and that he refused to sign the results.

    He added that he walked out of the national collation centre before the end of the process as the national collation agent of the petitioners when he discovered the fraudulent activities going on at the centre.

    Under cross-examination by INEC’s lawyer, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, Melaye said most   PDP agents across the country did not sign the  Form EC8As which were the result from the polling units.

    The witness further said that the results brought to the national collation centre by state electoral officers were at variance with the results recorded in the state.

    Melaye said that he had three major grouses with the conduct of the election one of which was the refusal of INEC to transmit the election results electronically to its portal.

    He said his depositions in his statements were based on his personal experience at the national collation centre and information from the party agents across the country who reported to him as the national collation agent of the party.

    He also said that some of the reports given by the agents were live feeds of what was happening at their location real time through the use of  technology.

    Under cross examination from counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Akin Olujinmi, SAN, Melaye said that  the failure of INEC to transmit results from Form EC8As to its I-ReV was an infringement of the law.

    He, however, said that the result captured in Form EC8A could not be changed even where it was not transmitted electronically.

    The witness further told the court that as a contributor to the drafting of the Electoral Act, the conduct of the presidential election was not done according to the law.

    Said that  that electronic transmission of results from the polling units unto the IReV was a very important aspect of the election process, adding that without that, the election circle could not be said to have been completed.

    “Result is transmitted from polling units before you move to the ward collation center.”

    When asked to give the actual scores  of Atiku in the election since he claimed the scores were wrongly computed, the witness said that he did not calculate them directly but that they were calculated through his statistician.

    The five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani then discharged Melaye from the witness box after all the respondents had questioned him.

    The petitioners also tendered two sets of documents acquired from INEV via a subpoena issued on May 26 at Friday’s proceeding.

    The documents are the certified true copies of Forms EC8A series  from 13 local government areas of Nasarawa.

    The second set of documents are Forms EC40G and Form EC40G(2), which were summaries of polling units where elections were cancelled or disrupted.

    All the respondents objected to the admissibility of the documents saying they would  advance reasons for their objection at the fin address stage.

    The documents were however, admitted  in evidence. The court subsequently adjourned proceedings until June 19.

  • Forum urges APC to help candidates reclaim stolen mandates

    Forum urges APC to help candidates reclaim stolen mandates

    Forum urges APC to help candidates reclaim stolen mandates

     

     

     

    Coalition of 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC), house of representatives candidates have appealed to the leadership of the party to assist candidates currently in tribunals to reclaim their stolen mandates.

    The house of representatives candidates is a congregation of APC standard-bearers who stood in the 2023 election but were not declared elected Members of the Green Chambers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The group during a press conference on Friday, at the party’s national secretariat Abuja, also called on President Bola Tinubu, to capture people that couldn’t make it through during the last election but are ready to Contribute their expertise to his administration.

    Speaking at the conference, Rt. Hon. Chisom Promise Dike, the chairman of the coalition expressed confidence of the Renewed Hope campaign mantra of President Tinubu.

    “We are a congregation of APC candidates who stood Election but were not declared elected Members of the Green Chambers by INEC. We are the people’s forum and we represent a cross section of the grassroots at various federal constituencies across the Northern and Southern regions of the Federation.

    “Our main objective is to bridge the gap in public service delivery in areas without elected representation from our party and to serve as a medium for discussion on important socio-political and economic issues, supporting government initiatives and offering collaborative solutions to challenges in our society.

    “As candidates and representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the nation, we embrace the fulfillment of the Renewed Hope campaign mantra of our President. We recognize that the battle ahead is not an easy one, but we firmly believe in the potential of a better Nigeria. We stand with His Excellency, President Tinubu, and we are committed to supporting his vision for development of our nation.

    “We appeal to Mr President to capture the interest of the House of Rep candidates that couldn’t make it through during the election but are ready to Contribute their expertise to his administration successes through government patronage.

    Dike urged Nigerians to exercise patience and allow the president the opportunity to fully unveil his policies and agenda for the nation.

    “The task of nation-building requires a careful planning, consultation, and deliberate action. Let us extend our trust and confidence to the President as he embarks on this journey of transformative changes.

    “We also urge Nigerians to set aside their differences and come together in unity because our strength lies in our diversity, and it is essential to embrace the collective identity of being Nigerians. We must transcend the boundaries of religion, tribe, political party, or personal beliefs, and work towards a common goal of national Progress and unity.”

     

  • Lagos Tribunal disqualifies Labour Party’s witness

    Lagos Tribunal disqualifies Labour Party’s witness

    The Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday,  disqualified a witness,, Erastus Ofoma, subpoenaed by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party  (LP) from testifying against Gov.  Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat.

    The Chairman of the three-man tribunal committee, Justice Arum Igyen-Ashom ordered Ofoma to step down as he could not testify in the matter.

    The tribunal held that the witness’ statement on oath was uploaded out of time and outside the 21 days stipulated under the Electoral Act.

    The tribunal ruled on the matter after taking submissions from counsels representing parties in the petition.

    Other members of the tribunal were Justice Mikail Adubulahi and Justice l.P. Braimoh.

    The sole petitioner, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour , the governorship candidate of the LP, was represented by Dr Olumide Ayeni (SAN).

    The first respondent , the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was represented by Mr  Eric Obigor, second and third respondents, Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat were represented by Bode Olanipekun (SAN) while the fourth respondent, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was represented by Norrison Quakers (SAN).

    Ayeni, who represented the petitioner, had earlier informed the tribunal of his intention to call the subpoenaed witness, Ofoma.

    He said the witness had deposed to his statement on oath and served the respondents.

    While INEC’s counsel, Obigor confirmed service, Olanipekun and Quakers  objected  the application.

    They said the witness was not one of the witnesses in the list that accompanied the petition.

    Olanipekun said there was no indication on the list that any witness was going to be subpoenaed to appear before the tribunal.

    He argued that in the case, an objection was taken to evidence being deposed outside 21 days permitted for presentation of petition.

    According to him, all the justices of the appellate court are unanimous in their decision that the subpoenaed witness whose statement is not front loaded cannot give evidence.

    Quakers who also aligned with Olanipekun, further stated that during the pre-action protocol of the tribunal on June 5, the list of witnesses presented did not suggest that a subpoenaed witness was going to be presented.

    He cited the provisions of Electoral Act, first schedule, paragraph four.

    He said: “It is a mandatory provision to comply with,  that election petition shall be accompanied with list of witnesses to be called and their statement on oath.

    “The petitioner cannot ambush respondents and the tribunal.

    “At pre-hearing protocol, all applications have been closed.

    “I urge the tribunal to discountenance the witness purportedly being subpoenaed in the person of Ofoma,”

    According to him,  it is a violation of the  Electoral Act.

    After series of arguments and counter-arguments, the tribunal upheld the pleadings of the respondents.

    Earlier,  one of the witnesses of the petitioner, Oluwaseun Okanlawon when questioned, based on his statement on oath by Olanipekun, told the tribunal that the event on the election day, March 18, was pre-planned.

    Okanlawon told the court that he was testifying as  INEC appointed ward coordinator and collation officer.

    He said: “INEC appointed me to coordinate the ward though I did not report what happened to them.

    “I was appointed as a collation officer and the entire polling unit agents report to me.

    “On the eve of the election, I saw people gathered in clusters in different parts of his ward in Surulere, so it was obvious that the event had been pre-planned,”

    Olanipekun took the witness up on paragraph eight of his statement on oath where he said  voters were intimidated and threatened.

    He  also asked the witness how he knew the number of registered voters  were outnumbered and how many non-accredited voters were allowed to vote in respect of the 52 polling units in his ward.

    The witness responded in the negative.

  • INEC boss to appear before election petition court

    INEC boss to appear before election petition court

    Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Thursday appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court Thursday.

    This was stated on Tuesday by Chris Uche, SAN lead counsel to Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party in their ongoing petition.

    In a petition marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, Abubakar Atiku and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are challenging the outcome of the Feb.25 presidential election which declared President Bola Tinubu as the winner.

    The respondents are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC president Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Uche said the INEC chairman will during his appearance testify on the conduct of the disputed presidential election.

    Uche told the court that he does not want the respondents especially Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be caught unawares.

    Earlier, the petitioners called their 19th witness (PW19), Alex Ter, their first star witness to testify.

    Ter is a lawyer and a politician, National coordinator of PDP ‘s National situation room.

    Abubakar Mahmoud , SAN counsel for INEC however, objected when the witness was about to adopt his statement which were more than one.

    Mahmoud told the Court that they objected on May 20 to the petitioners’s ‘ reply on the additional statements.

    He stated that it was not pleaded in line with the provisions of the law and therefore, urged the court to dissmiss it and uphold the objection.

    He however, told the court that he would reserve their reasons for the objections for be communicated at the final addresses

    Uche for the petitioners told the court that the objections INEC raised has been argued and ruling reserved by the court.

    “Whatever objection that INEC has should be kept aside, “  Uche said.

    He therefore, urged the court to overrule the objection and allow the process go on.

    He told the court that they are tendering Manual for the conduct of the 2023 election.

    He said he will be tendering video clips of broadcast, by the chairman of INEC on the preparation for the election and that of Festus Okoye National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC on the election.

    The also said that he will be tendering European Union (EU) election observers mission broadcast alongside the transcripts and the certificates of authenticity of the three videos.

    He said this was pursuant to Section 84 of the Evidence Act.

    He also tendered INEC I-reV screen shots of the portal as of March 18 and March 19.

    Also tendered was I-reV results portal at the pulling units of March 1and the transcripts and certificates of authenticity.

    INEC did not object but Tinubu and APC objected, but all the respondents reserved their responses until their final written addresses.
    Under cross examination by INEC’s lawyer, Mahmoud, the witness admitted that he was not at the National Collation Center but was at the PDP situation room in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    He also admitted not being an ICT experts but that he based his report from information obtained from agents of the PDP at the collation centers.

    The witness faulted INEC for not transmitting presidential election results electronically, adding that calculation errors led the electoral body into grave errors .

    Also cross examined by Akin Olujimi SAN, counsel for Tinubu, the witness said that he came to the conclusion that the presidential election was invalid by reason of corrupt electoral practices as related to him by PDP agents.

    Testifying as the petitioners ‘ 20th witness (PW20) was Olutunji Shelle.

    He alleged during cross examination by INEC counsel that there were some secret pulling units set up by APC in Lagos.

    He however said he did not visit any.

    The petitioners have called 20 witnesses so far out of 100 the told the court their would call.

    Meanwhile, the five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned until tomorrow for further hearing of the petition.

  • Tribunal: PEPC admits Peter Obi’s video flash drive in evidence

    Tribunal: PEPC admits Peter Obi’s video flash drive in evidence

    The Presidential Eection Petition Court (PEPC) on Friday admitted two video flash drive in evidence brought by Mr Peter Obi through a subpoenaed witness to prove his petition against president Bola Tinubu.

    Obi and his Labour Party (LP) are petitioners in the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023 challenging the election which brought president Bola Tinubu into power.

    Respondents are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) president Bola Tinubu and Vice president Kashim Shettima and All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The court admitted two video flash drive tendered through a subpoenaed witness of Obi and his Party.

    At the resumed hearing of the petition, Levi Uzoukwu, SAN counsel for the petitioners, told the court, the proceeding would be conducted by Jubrin Okitepa, SAN

    He said the proceeding would also require soft ware engineering.

    A subpoenaed witness from channels TV was called , named Lucky Obowo-Isawode, a reporter and editor.

    The counsel informed the court that two subpoenas dated May 30 and June 6 were served on the TV station to produce the video clips.

    The video clips, he said, are an interview with the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu .

    The second one is that of Mr Festus Okoye National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC.

    The respondents counsel are Kemi Pinhero, SAN for INEC ,Akin Olujimi, SAN for president Tinubu and Vice president Shittema.Afolabi Fashanu, SAN for APC .

    They all did not oppose the witness but objected to his adoption of his statement on oath.

    Olujimi for the 2nd and 3rd respondents objected to the adoption of his witness statement on oath

    According to him, it is against the provision in the Electoral Act

    “It is settled that election petition must be filed within 21 days after the announcement of the election.

    “The documents sent out must be accompanied by the petition, list of witnesses and their statements.

    “The witness statement was filed today, three months after the announcement of the results ” he said.

    He added that he has looked at the pages of petition and did not see the name of the witness.

    “The wwitness s not competent to testify before this court, this point have been settled in the decision of this court ” he said.

    Pinhero aligned with the submission by Olujimi.

    “The petitioners were aware of the videos and ought to have filed it along with the petition as required by the law”

    He therefore urged the court to discountance the adoption and uphold the objection.

    Fashanu for APC aligned with the submissions of the other respondents ‘counsel.

    He added that there is no distinction between a subpoenaed witness and ordinary witness for the purposes of compliance.

    He therefore urged the court to uphold the objection and refuse the adoption for void of merit.

    Okitepa told the court if there is something to dismiss, it is the objections of the respondents.

    “A subpoena we know is an order of the court issued against a person .

    “It is not a witness in control of the petitioner or respondent and is competent to testify.

    “If a subpoenaed witness can testify orally what injury would we suffer? I submit, none.

    “It will rather quicken the hands of justice,” he said.

    No injury should be suffered, I therefore urge the court to overrule the objection, you need to see the video.

    He told the court that the evidence the subpoenaed witness brought were Live interviews with INEC chairman and Mr Festus Okoye.

    The videos flash drive were tendered and admitted in evidence and the counsel prayed that it should be played.

    Olujimi objected that it should not be played because the flash drive was not served on them.

    He submitted that they don’t know what the contents of the flash drive was, and need to know in other to prepare themselves.

    “Having not served us before the proceeding, it would not be in the interest of fair hearing,” he said.

    Fashanu for APC aligned with Olujimi while Pinhero for INEC said the video can be played since it is already admitted in evidence.

    Meanwhile, the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned until tomorrow for the videos to be played and further hearing of the petition.

  • PDP calls for transfer of Ogun, Nasarawa election tribunals

    PDP calls for transfer of Ogun, Nasarawa election tribunals

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded immediate transfer of Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Ogun and Nasarawa Election Tribunals to Abuja for safety and guarantee of justice.

    The party made the demand at a news conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba in Abuja on Thursday.

    Ologunagba condemned attacks on PDP members at Governorship election petition Tribunal premises in Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna.

    He alleged that there were plots to sustain the attacks with the intention to instill fear in judiciary so as to derail the cause of justice.

    “This justifies PDP’s demand for live coverage of the tribunal proceeding as party members would have been watching at home instead of going to the premises,” Ologunagba said.

    He added that the PDP was not taking its eyes off the fact that the process of the 2023 Presidential election is still on-going at the Presidential Election Petition Court and other Election Petition Tribunals across the country.

    He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of plots to derail the cause of justice in the various Election Petition Tribunals across the country.

    “INEC’s objection to its evidence in court is to frustrate the court and derail the cause of justice,” adding that any document certified by INEC could be tendered at the bar.

    On the inauguration of the 10th Assembly slated for June 13, Ologunagba said that the party would deploy its number maximally to elect the leaders of the National Assembly.

    Ologunagba said that opposition parties are the majority and they would unite to elect the speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate from among themselves.

    He said, “It is instructive to note that the opposition parties put together to form a strong majority in the National Assembly and we are very mindful of that.

    “The PDP leadership is working together with our members-elect and opposition Parties in the two chambers.

    “Irrespective of the ongoing claims in the media, I want to inform you that the PDP has a clear direction which we hold close to our chest.

    “Our members are united in that direction and it will show on the floor of both Houses of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    “In all, we do not discountenance the fact that put the opposition parties have the majority in the National Assembly which we are ready to deploy maximally.”

  • Kano: APC seeks tribunal’s order to inspect governorship election materials

    Kano: APC seeks tribunal’s order to inspect governorship election materials

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, on Thursday, applied to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for an order to inspect electoral materials used during the March 18 governorship poll.

    The APC Governorship Candidate, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, is urging the tribunal to nullify the declaration of Abba Kabir-Yusuf of NNPP as governor.

    Kabir-Yusuf polled 1,019,602 votes to defeat former Dep. Gov. Gawuna, who scored 892,705 votes.

    The petitioner is asking the tribunal to declare him the winner of the election, having scored the highest number of valid votes cast.

    He argued that APC ought to be declared winner, if the invalid votes allotted to NNPP were removed, otherwise, the election should be declared inconclusive.

    At the resumed sitting for pre-trial, Counsel for the petitioner, Mr Nureini Jimoh (SAN), urged the court to grant his client access to inspect electoral materials used for the election.

    Jimoh listed the materials to include the Biomodal Voters Accreditation System machine, ballot papers, voter register and other electoral facilities used by INEC across the state.

    Counsel for INEC, Mr K C Wisdom, told the court that they were only served with the process on Thursday.

    Counsels for Kabir-Yusuf and NNPP,  Messrs Adegboyega Awomolo and E.A Oshayomi, did not object to the application.

    The three-member panel ordered all the litigants to conclude all exchange of processes on interlocutory applications before hearing would commence.

    The tribunal approved 26 days for all the parties to prove their case, while 15 minutes each were stipulated for examination and cross-examination of witnesses.

    The tribunal later adjourned sitting to June 15 for continuation of pre-trial on the admissibility or otherwise of documents and adoption of schedules of proceedings.

  • Tribunal: Peter Obi, Labour Party tender more documents in evidence

    Tribunal: Peter Obi, Labour Party tender more documents in evidence

    Mr Peter Obi and the  Labour Party (LP) on Wed tendered more documents before the presidential election petition court (PEPC).

    Documents presented were form EC8B series from four states, EC8C, from 13 states, EC8D from 36 states and FCT, lastly, form EC8D(A) which is the national result.

    Mr Peter Obi and his Labour Party (LP) are petitioners in the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023 challenging the election which brought president Bola Tinubu into power

    Respondents are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) president Bola Tinubu and Vice president Kashim Shettima and All Progressives Congress

    The petitioners through their counsel , Paul Ananaba, SAN tendered form EC8B series from Ebonyi 13 local government areas, four from Kaduna and Oyo respectively, while one was from Nasarawa state.

    The document, according to Ananaba, ended the EC8B series of the schedule of documents which are results from wards collation centres.

    The petitioners went ahead to tender form EC8C series documents from eight local government areas of Bayelsa, 23 for Benue, Cross River and Edo 18 each and Ebonyi 10.

    Other states are Lagos, 20 local government areas, Niger 25, 18 of Ondo, Oyo 33, Rivers 23, Sokoto 23 and Ekiti 16 and Delta 25.

    Ananaba informed the court that they are done with form EC8C series and furher tendered Form EC8D series from 36 states and the FCT.

    EC8D series are the results of the election at state collation level.

    He also tendered form EC8D(A) which was the National results.

    T.N Inuwa , SAN, Counsel for INEC, Mike Igbokwe SAN for Tinubu and Shettima and Adebiyi Kassim , SAN for APC objected to the admissibility of the documents.

    They told the court that reasons for their objections would be provided at their final written addresses stage.

    The respondents however, did not object to the admissibility of form EC8D(A) which is the National results.

    All the documents tendered were admitted in evidence by the court.

    Meanwhile, the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned until Thursday for further hearing of the petition.

  • Tribunal: PDP witness reveals where “real disaster” happened in conduct of 2023 presidential election

    Tribunal: PDP witness reveals where “real disaster” happened in conduct of 2023 presidential election

    A Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) witness, Nicholas Msheliza on Friday told the presidential election petition court (PEPC) that the real disaster was at ward collation centres.

    The witness said this when he was being cross-examined by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) counsel, Kemi Pinherio, SAN.

    A petition marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, filed by Atiku Abubakar and the PDP  are challenging the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.

    Respondents are INEC, President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Msheliza, the fifth witness of the PDP faulted the conduct of the February 25 election.

    Mhshliza, who is the state collation agent for the party in Borno stated that the results obtained from the units were changed at the ward collation center “where the real disaster happened.”

    He said results from the Polling Unit and those from the ward were at variance because of the manipulation that took place during the elections.

    “The real disaster happened at the ward collation centre which brought in different results from the one we knew.”

    He stated further that the results were not electronically transmitted as supposed.

    He, however, admitted during cross examination by the respondents’ counsel that he did not state the issue of results manipulation in his witness statement.on oath.

    This he said was because it was “not possible to have enumerated every thing in the statement.”

    Earlier, Sani Kutigi, testified as the fourth witness and state collation agent for Borno .

    Silas Onu also testified as the sixth witness and state collation agent for Ebonyi.

    Meanwhile, the five-mem panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned the further hearing of the petition until Monday .

    Recall that the petitioners told the panel that they are bringing 100 witnesses to prove their petition, so far they have brought six.

    INEC since the start of the hearing opposed the admissibility of various documents brought to the Presidential Election Petition Court by the petitioners as exhibits to prove their petitions.

    When INEC counsel Kemi Pinhero,SAN was approached by the newsmen to know why, he declined saying that he does not want to engage in a media trial.

    Pinhero told the Court that the electoral body objected to the tendering of the election result sheets because the petitioners went beyond the areas where the election was being disputed.

    However, Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN told newsmen that they will prove the authenticity of the documents they tendered at the right time.