Obi tenders PVC figures in 32 states, IReV reports for 18 councils in 4 states
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi has tendered at the Presidential Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja a bundle of exhibits containing the total Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected in 32 states for the 2023 general election.
The documents were admitted in evidence by the PEPC, chaired by Justice Haruna Tsammani, against the objections of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Peter Afuba, SAN, counsel for the LP and Obi, tendered the exhibits which were duly certified by the INEC.
Court overrules respondents’ objections
Vanguard reports INEC counsel Kemi Pinhero, SAN opposed the admissibility of the exhibits, as did the lawyers for Tinubu and the APC. They said will adduce reasons for their objections in their final written addresses.
Despite the objections, the PEPC admitted the PVCs in evidence along with a certified true copy (CTC) of a certificate of compliance on exhibits the petitioners tendered in respect of Edo.
The court also admitted in evidence CTCs of supplementary IReV reports for three councils in Benue; two councils in Cross River; 12 councils Lagos, and one council in Gombe.
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PEPC admits from Obi blurred 18,000 PU results, against Tinubu’s objection
Obi and the LP had tendered last week blurred results from 18,088 polling units which the court admitted in evidence against the objections of Tinubu and other respondents.
The results from across the country were downloaded and printed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from its view portal, IReV.
The court also admitted in evidence data analysis of the presidential election results and their accompanying appendices.
Obi and the LP are challenging the election of Tinubu as declared by the INEC.
Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN presented the documents on behalf of the petitioners and announced he intended to call to the witness box Eric Ofoedu, a Professor of mathematics, to testify.
The LP engaged Ofoedu a few days before the election to analyse data from the presidential vote held on February 25.
Also admitted in evidence were the letter addressed to Ofoedu seeking his service and the subpoena served on him to appear before the court.
The respondents – the NEC, Tinubu, Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the APC – all objected to the admissibility of the documents.
APC counsel Lateef Fagbemi, SAN objected to the admissibility of the subpoena served on Ofoedu but gave consent to the court to admit his letter of engagement.
Lawyers for all the respondents said the reasons for their objections would be advanced at the later stage of the hearing.
