PDP Legal Team at the PEPT pre-hearing, Tuesday, May 9
Finally, PEPT plays video evidence by LP, as court adjourns till Tuesday
Video evidence tendered by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, which was subject of a long dispute between parties at Friday’s proceedings that some legal experts described as respondents’ delay tactics,’ were eventually played during Saturday’s sitting of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) court in Abuja.
It would be recalled that during Friday’s proceedings, an attempt by the LP/Obi legal team to present before the court some subpoenaed witnesses along with their video evidence capturing both the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Yakubu Mahmood, as well as the National Commissioner for Voter Education and Information at the agency, Barrister Festus Okoye, while featuring on Channels Television just before the 2023 General Elections were objected to by respondents’ counsels, as they claimed that the petitioners ( LP and Obi0 failed to notify them of the documents earlier.
The video evidence to be backed by the testimony of subpoenaed witnesses of the Channels Television, showed both Prof Mahmood and Barrister Okoye assurijg of the commission’s readiness to upload election results ‘in real time,’ and from the polling units, a promise they later denied and reneged on.
The arguments forced the court to adjourn till Saturday as time allotted to the LP and Obi presentation was far spent.
Te court, however, admitted the video evidence and assured on allowing the petitioners tender present them in the resumed Saturday proceedings.
During Saturday’s proceedings, the LP team presentation was led by its counsel, Mr J.S Okutepa SAN, who called up the same Channels TV witnesses; Mr Lucky Isawode, and another reporter.
The court admitted their testimony and marked it as exhibit.
Three video evidence tendered were subsequently played before the court; the first showing Mahmood disclosing to viewers that the commission’s staff have been trained and equipped for real time upload of election results directly from polling units, as he was also quoted as declaring; ‘There’s no going back on electronic transmission of results.’
The second video evidence showed Channels television staff, Mr. Seun Okinbaloye, interviewing Mr Okoye on set, as the latter stated that ‘people are allowed to protest but inspection of BVAS won’t be allowed,’ just as the video also showed Okoye saying he is not certain ‘if a hack of the BVAS occurred. ‘
The third video evidence played before the court was on the ‘Double Nomination’ allegation against the All Progressives Congress (APC) vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima.
After the videos, cross examination by respondents followed, as the witnesses were asked if they stand by their testimonies before the court, to which they affirmed.
During Saturday’s proceedings, LP also tendered INEC certified true copies (CTCs) of Form EC40G(1) from Ado local government area in Benue State, which it marked as Exhibit PBJ7 & PBJ8.
The court admitted the documents despite objection raised counsels to all the respondents, including INEC, Tinubu and Shettima and APC.
Court adjouned till Tuesday, June 13 for further proceedings.
