The Independent National Electoral Commission has faulted the People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for calling ‘only’ 24 witnesses, saying,were not
insufficient to prove alleged electoral fraud in 176,000 polling units in his bid to have president Bola Tinubu’s victory upturned by the court.
INEC in its final addresses urged Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja to dismiss Atiku Abubakar’s challenging the outcome of the 25 February election.
The commission said the 24 witnesses he called to prove his petition fell far short 100 he proposed to call.
INEC had on 1 March declared Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress election winner.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that Atiku, the 1st runner-up at the poll had proposed during the prehearing session to call 100 witnesses to prove allegations of electoral malpractices and fraud against INEC and Tinubu.
However, he presented 24 witnesses who comprised electoral officers and experts to substantiate his claims.
In its final written address in response to Atiku’s allegations of electoral fraud, INEC, through its lead counsel, Abubakar Mahmoud, told the court that Atiku called only 24 witnesses from over 176,000 polling stations.
Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), argued that 24 witnesses were insufficient to establish electoral malpractices in the 176,000 polling units across Nigeria where the presidential election was held last February.
“By law, the petitioners (Atiku and PDP) must prove through credible evidence from the 176,000 polling units that the non-use of the BVAS device to transmit the results real-time affected the outcome of the (presidential) election,” Mahmoud argued.
The lawyer further contended that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, which Atiku alleged were not functioning properly in the 176,000 polling units in Nigeria during the polls, were not produced by the PDP candidate in support of his case.
He said all of Atiku’s witnesses testified before the five-member panel of the court that the BVAS device functioned adequately except for the uploading of images of the presidential election from the polling stations, which INEC argued did not detract from the election’s “integrity and credibility.”
Responding to Atiku’s allegations of manipulation of ballots, BVAS, intimidation and harassment of voters and massive thumb printing of ballot papers, amongst others, the commission said the allegations were criminal in nature.
“We submit that these allegations as contained in the petition are criminal in nature and must be proved beyond reasonable doubt.”
The electoral commission contended that Atiku and the PDP failed to prove results cancellation in 241 polling stations in Sokoto State during the presidential election.
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