Atiku vs Buhari: Atiku presents 26,175 pieces of evidence, Buhari’s lawyers couldn’t defend objection

No fewer than 26,175 documents challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23, 2019, elections have been tendered by the PDP and its candidate before the presidential election tribunal so far.

And more are still coming.

On Thursday Abubakar Atiku opened his case by tendering a total of 5,196 documents to establish fraud and malpractices in the February 23 election that returned Muhammadu Buhari as president.

All the documents, which were admitted in evidence as exhibits include results sheets of the election obtained from wards, polling units and local government areas in eight states.

The states are Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Borno, Jigawa, Gombe and Bauchi.

The election materials were tendered through his lead counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

A breakdown of the documents tendered on Friday indicated that, 3,378 of such document came from Katsina, 2,106 from Kebbi, 3,472 from Borno, 3,162 from Jigawa, 1,912 from Gombe, 3,539 from Bauchi, 3,335, from Kaduna while 5,271 came from Kano.

The remaining ones from Kano State would be brought on Monday, the adjourned date.

Counsel to INEC, Yunus Ustaz Usman, hat of Buhari, Mike Igbokwe , and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Charles Edosomwan, all  SANs,objected to the admissibility of the documents.

They, however, reserved reasons for their objections in line with the agreement contained in the pre-hearing report.

The proceedings were witnessed by the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the election, Mr. Peter Obi, who represented the petitioners, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu stood in for Buhari while Dare Oketade was there for APC.

The tribunal has adjourned further hearing in the petition till Monday, July 8, 2019.