‘We complied with INEC instruction not to give copies of election results to agents’

Our employer, the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) instructed us not not to give copies of election results to political party agents who declined to sign the results a staff of the commission, Abedemi Joseph told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Friday.

The witness made the disclosure while testifying in a petition filed by a former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar against the election of President Bola Tinubu.

Led in evidence-in-chief by the petitioners’ lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, Joseph prayed the court to adopt her witness statement on oath as her evidence in the petition against the victory of Tinubu.

Joseph, who was a presiding officer in Niger state during the February 25 presidential elections, told the court that she was satisfied with the process as instructed.

She, however, said that they had instructions not to give out results of the election to party agents who did not sign the result sheet.

Also testifying, a presiding agent in Edo state during the election told the court that she tried in vain to upload the presidential election results to the INEC server.

While another subpoena witness from Kogi state, Grace Ajagbonna also affirmed the peaceful conduct of the election she said she was not happy that she could not upload the presidential election as instructed.

Ajagbonna, responding to INEC counsel as to whether she was happy with the conduct of the election and her work as presiding officer, said, “I was not happy that I was unable to transmit the result to the server.”

However, INEC, represented by Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN; APC, represented by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN and other respondents objected to the use of statements made on oath by the subpoenaed witnesses to be tendered at PEPC in aid of Atiku’s petition.

Atiku’s lawyer, Chris Uche urged the court to discountance their objections and grant their request.

The five-man panel headed by Justice, Haruna Tsammani reserved ruling on the applications.

Meanwhile, the Court has adjourned further hearing to June 10.