INEC Chair To Testify In Atiku’s Petition Against Tinubu

Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, has been summoned to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court to testify in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The PDP and Atiku are contesting the outcome of the February 25 presidential election, which was won by All Progressives Congress President Bola Tinubu.

At the hearing on Tuesday, Chris Uche (SAN), counsel for the PDP and Atiku, stated that the INEC Chairman had been summoned to testify about the disputed election.

He further stated that the INEC chairman would present certain sensitive documents during his presentation.

Uche told the court’s five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, that he made the declaration today, Tuesday, so that the respondents, particularly Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress, would be aware.

Also testifying as the first star witness in Atiku’s petition was Alex Ter, the former Attorney General of Benue state.

Ter, who served as the National Coordinator of the PDP Situation Room during the February 25 presidential election, presented three exhibits, all of which were video clips of Mahmood and INEC’s Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye, assuring Nigerians that the presidential election results would be transmitted electronically.

Despite the respondents’ counsel’s objections to the materials’ admission, Justice Tsammani of the PEPC admitted them, and the video clips were aired in open court.

The Guidelines for Election Officers 2022 and the Manual for Election Guidelines 2023 were also allowed as exhibits by the court.

The witness chastised INEC for failing to send presidential election results online, claiming that mathematical problems caused the electoral authority to make severe mistakes.

The hearing was postponed until Wednesday.