Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja was thrown into a rowdy session, on Wednesday, when the witness to Yakubu Oseni of APC admitted that the card reader reports he presented does not tally with the figures of accredited voters in the voters register used for the Kogi Central senatorial election.
The witness, Salisu Aliyu, an ICT expert working for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), presented the CTC of card reader reports for all the polling units in Kogi Central senatorial election marked as exhibit 3AR2 by the chairman of the three man panel, Hon. Justice O.A. Chijioke.
Aliyu who initially claimed that the figures of the accredited voters in the voters register tally with the figures of voters in his card reader reports, however, admitted that it does not tally upon cross examination by Ayo Asala (SAN), Counsel to the first Petitioner (Natasha Akpoti).
Aliyu admitted that he does not know the figures of the accredited voters in the voters register and does not know if the card reader reports tally with the figures of accredited voters in the voters register.
Asala (SAN), queried that the Witness is not the signatory of the document he presented and his name is not mentioned anywhere in the document which the Witness admitted before the Tribunal.
Asala (SAN), further posed that the Witness’ alleged that the card reader reports was in tandem with the figures of the accredited voters in the voters register couldn’t have been true, saying since the Witness does not know the number of the accredited voters in the voters register, the Witness only worked on assumptions when he said the card reader reports supposed to tally with the figures of the accredited voters in the voters register.
Similarly, Counsel to Natasha Akpoti of SDP, Ola Olanipeku (SAN), faulted the claim of another Witness to Yakubu Oseni of APC who claimed that the election was conducted with the use smart card reader and the use of voters register for accreditation, asking if he was aware of the INEC’s guideline that states;
“where an intending voters’ PVC had been previously authenticated by the card reader as genuine, but the card reader could not subsequently recognize the fingerprint of the intending voter, such a person will only be allowed to vote if the following procedures are complied with by the Assistant Polling Officer (APO1):
(a) Request the voter to thumbprint the appropriate box in the Register of voters;
(b) Request the voter to provide his/her phone number in the appropriate box in the Register of voters.”
Olanipeku (SAN), further faulted the Witness’ claim that the voting was done with the use of voters register for accreditation, saying since the Witness admitted before the Tribunal that he doesn’t know if the voters register was ticked, his claim couldn’t have been right.
The Tribunal was thrown into another rowdy session when another Witness admitted that his statement of oath was taken at the office of the Counsel to the Third Respondent (Yakubu Oseni), revealing that he doesn’t know if the voters register was used.
The lead Counsel to Yakubu Oseni of APC, EB Daudu, however, denied the claim of his Witness, claiming that his Witness was intimidated by the Counsel to Natasha Akpoti of SDP, Ayo Asala (SAN).
Other Witnesses presented by Yakubu Oseni in defense of the petition No. EPT/KG/SEN/02/2019 by Natasha Akpoti of SDP included, the former Chairman of Okehi local government, Suberu Adagu from Obangede ward, who signed the final result sheet for Yakubu Oseni of APC.
Adagu’s claim of free and fair election, the use of card reader and the use of voters register for accreditation in the election was faulted by the Counsel to Natasha Akpoti of SDP, Ayo Asala (SAN).
Asala (SAN), maintained that since the Witness admitted that he did not witness the voting and accreditation in other polling units apart from the polling unit he voted during the Kogi Central senatorial election, he couldn’t have witnessed the conduct of the election in other polling units where he claimed accreditation and due process were followed.
Others witnesses were; Director General of Yakubu Oseni Campaign organization, and APC agents from Iruvucheba ward, Karaworo Ward, Kuroko I and II, Ageva ward, and Idoji Ward.
The chairman of the three man panel, Hon. Justice O.A. Chijioke adjourned the consolidated petition to Thursday July 25 for Yakubu Oseni of APC to present his Witnesses for the defense of petition EPT/KG/SEN/08/2019 by Ahmed Ogembe of PDP.
