Presidential Election Tribunal: Why PDP witness signed results for APC

A PDP’s witness has told the presidential election tribunal he was forced to sign a copy of the result of the February 23 presidential election at his unit in Jigawa.

Mohammed Tata told the tribunal that he reported the threat but nothing was done to those who forced him to sign the results.

Tata served as an agent of the PDP during the presidential election.

Cross examined by the lawyer to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Yunus Usman, Tata said, “I was harassed and intimidated to sign the result sheet under duress.

“I was told that if I refuse to sign, my name will be removed from the N-Power programme.”

According to him, the 700 votes claimed to have been won by Buhari and the APC in his unit could not be proven as “there was no score because there was no election.”

He pointed out that he was a Muslim and believes in destiny, adding that he does not care whether the PDP or APC won the election in his unit.

“All I want is that I need justice in my country. I don’t care whether my party won or lost, but I am not happy about what happened,” he said.

When asked by the lawyer to the APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, why he did not mention the names of those that harassed him in his statement on oath, Tata replied that he decided not to mention names for security reasons and for the fact that he still benefits from the gederal government’s scheme – N-Power.

The Presidential Election Tribunal is looking into the applications filed by the PDP and its presidential candidate  Atiku Abubakar,challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in the election.