The fourth witness of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Mr. Peter Obi, on Thursday, told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja that he discovered a total of 18,088 blurred result sheets uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The witness, Eric Uwadiegwu Ofoedu, a Professor of Mathematics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, told the court that he carried out an investigation and data analysis of the 2023 Presidential Election results on the IReV portal.
Led in evidence at Thursday’s proceedings by Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Ofoedu also told the court that he conducted an analysis of results from Rivers and Benue states respectively and a report on his findings.
When then witness was presented before the Court, counsel for INEC, A. B. Mahmood (SAN) told the court that he was served the statement in court and he is handicap on how to go about the proceedings.
He asked to court to the Petitioners to step down the witness and grant them time to look at the documents filed and prepare for Cross-examination.
Lead Counsel for Tinubu and Shetimma, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) aligned themselves with the submissions of Mahmood (SAN) but however suggested that the witness should adopt his evidence, while they cross-examine him later.
Dr. Ikpeazu (SAN) apologized for serving the respondents late but told the court that they just obtained the Soupena yesterday.
He requested that the witness be allowed to take adopt his evidence in chief while the court determines whether or not Cross-examination will be done later.
The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led panel granted the request by the LP and deferred Cross-examination till tomorrow.
Ikpeazu informed the court about a letter of request written to the witness by the LP, on February 20, asking him to carryout data analysis for the presidential election, as well as the subpoena served on the witness.
The Senior Lawyer tendered all the documents as evidence in the petition before the court.
Counsels for INEC and Tinubu/Shetimma objected to the admissibility of the letter but did not object to the Subpoena, however, counsel for the APC objected to the Subpoena but not the letter.
Justice Tsammani admitted all the documents tendered by the LP as exhibits in the petition.
The LP then called their second witness, Lummie Edeveie, a staff Arise News TV to present evidence before the court.
Led in Evidence by Patrick Ikweto (SAN), Edeveie presented a flash drive containing a video before the court.
Mr. Ikweto tendered the flash before the court and applied that it be played in court.
Though the respondents objected to the admissibility of the flash drive as evidence, they did not object to it being played in court.
The application was granted by the court and the video was played on screen for everyone to watch.
The video contained the speech by the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu at the Chatham House where he spoke about the elections, giving assurances on the potency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the IReV portals ahead of the general elections.
Justice Tsammani after admitting the flash as evidence adjourned till tomorrow, June 16 for further hearing.
.as Osun LP suspends 13 members over Obi’s petition
The leadership of the Labour Party in Osun State on Thursday suspended the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr Samuel Akingbade, and the state Women Leader, Mrs. Susan Ojo, for attempting to create a faction in LP’s fold in the state.
Announcing the decision of the party at a press conference held in Osogbo on Thursday, Osun LP chairman, Adebayo Bello, explained that the executives have also suspended 11 local government chairmen of the party, for attending a meeting called to create a faction.
Bello also accused the suspended members of lending support to the attempt to jeopardise the petition of the LP presidential candidate in the 2023 General Elections, Mr. Peter Obi, against the victory of President Bola Tinubu currently being heard by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
He added that the affected officials had wanted to hide behind the crises rocking LP at the national level to create faction in the state.
Having discovered the intention of the affected officers, Bello said LP State Executives met on Thursday, May 11, where they resolved to support the National Working Committee led by Barrister Julius Abure and suspend those found working against the party’s unity.
He further said, “The intention is to create parallel structures at the National level and the states to lend support to the dirty agenda of scuttling the legal struggle of reclaiming the mandate of Mr. Peter Obi and Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed in the 2023 Presidential election. We observe that if the activities of these undemocratic persons are not checked on time, it will either weaken the Labour Party structure in Osun or collapse it totally.
“Barr. Samuel Akingbade (National Legal Adviser), Mrs. Susan Ojo (State Women Leader) and 11 chairmen of the Local Government of our party in Osun State who participated in a meeting organised by the National Legal Adviser and suspended State Woman Leader are hereby suspended from the party indefinitely.
“These members stand suspended for anti-party activities and gross misconduct. This decision will be forwarded to the National Working Committee of the Labour Party and other relevant bodies including all security agencies for further actions.”
He assured that the party executives in the state would continue to work towards ensuring that LP remains a united and formidable political platform capable of producing visionary and transformational leaders.
