Fresh tension grips Buhari, INEC, APC as Atiku tenders 26,175 exhibits  

President Muhammadu Buhari, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) still breathe the air uncertainty despite the preliminary judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on the elementary issues raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party’s presidential election candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

National Dailylearned that President Buhari, the ruling APC and the INEC have begun another round of struggle to defend 26,175 exhibits presented in evidence at the tribunal by Atiku.

Atiku had last Thursday commenced briefs on his petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba; he tendered a total of 5,196 documents in evidence to prove his case electoral manipulation and malpractices in the February 23 presidential election in which the INEC declared Buhari winner.

National Dailylearned that former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, PDP Vice Presidential Candidate in the February 23 presidential election, stood for the petitioners, PDP and Atiku Abubakar, at the commencement of the hearing of the substantive suit.

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, though absent at the Thursday sitting, represented President Muhammadu Buhari while Dare Oketade represented APC.

Dr. Livy Uzuokwu SAN led the PDP and Atiku legal team, while Yunus Ustaz Usman SAN represented the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igbokwe SAN stood in for President Buhari and Charles Edosomwan SAN for APC.

National Dailyinquiry revealed that President Buhari, the APC and INEC have cut short their celebrations on the tribunal’s judgment on the controversial INEC server which Atiku raised at the preliminary stage, to now face a tougher challenge at the tribunal over the exhibits Atiku and the PDP presented in the commencement of hearing on the substantive suit. Thus, as the tension over the server controversy dies down, fresh tension was identified to be gripping the president, APC and INEC.

A statement from the Atiku campaign office sent to National Daily indicated that Atiku Abubakar, PDP Presidential candidate on Friday tendered a total of 26,175 exhibits against the February 23, 2019 presidential election that Buhari was declared winner by INEC in support of his petition seeking nullification of the election on grounds of fraud, electoral malpractice and non qualification of Buhari to stand for the election.

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

The statement highlighted that the documents tendered at the tribunal comprised mainly result sheets from polling units, wards and local governments in eight states, while receipts for certification of documents from the INEC were tendered and admitted as exhibits along with the result sheets.

The eight states where the documents emanated from include Katsina, Kebbi, Borno, Jigawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna and partly Kano.

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The breakdown of the documents indicated that 3,378 came from Katsina; 2,106 came from Kebbi; 3,472 from Borno; 3,162 from Jigawa; 1,912 from Gombe; 3,539 from Bauchi; 3,335 from Kaduna and 5,271 came from Kano.

Atiku’s lawyer, while tendering the documents told the tribunal that the remaining ones from Kano State would be presented when the tribunal resumes sitting on Monday.

Counsel to INEC, Yunus Ustaz Usman, counsel to Buhari, Mike Igbokwe (SAN), and APC, Charles Edosomwan (SAN), objected to the admissibility of the documents but however informed the tribunal that reasons for their objections would be explained at the address stage of hearing in the Petition.

Uzoukwu, Atiku’s lawyer told the tribunal that his team will begin to call witnesses at the end of tendering of documents.

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