INEC Chairman To Testify In Suit Against Tinubu 

INEC was accused of rigging results in Tinubu’s favor.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, is scheduled to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja on Thursday, June 15, 2023.

This incident is part of the continuing suit filed by Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, who is challenging President Bola Tinubu’s win in the February 25 presidential election.

Atiku and his legal team have accused INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of tampering with the election results. To support their allegations, Atiku’s main attorney, Chris Uche, has notified the court that Yakubu would appear as a witness and provide key election records.

Yakubu’s court appearance results from a subpoena issued at the request of Atiku’s legal team. His testimony is intended to throw light on the conduct of the disputed election and give evidence supporting the petitioner’s position.

Before Yakubu’s evidence, Atiku’s defense team summoned numerous witnesses, including Alex Ter, a lawyer and former Attorney General of Benue State. Ter testified that the February presidential election was plagued by significant irregularities that violated the Electoral Act of 2022.

Ter showed video excerpts of Yakubu and INEC’s Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye, who confirmed INEC’s pledge to transmit election results during his testimony electronically. The court accepted these movies as evidence, along with other pertinent papers.

Despite protests from Tinubu’s legal team and the APC, the court confirmed the films’ inclusion. Peter Obi’s Labour Party previously offered similar video recordings, which also contested Tinubu’s win.

Ter stated under cross-examination that he was not an ICT specialist and acquired information on the election’s result from PDP operatives at the collation centers. He claimed that the presidential election should be declared null and invalid owing to alleged INEC electoral malpractices.

Following Ter’s evidence, the court delayed the proceedings until Wednesday, June 14, for additional hearings. Atiku and Obi are pleading with the court to proclaim them president and pushing for a new election.