President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have kicked against Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) admittance of the exhibits from 32 states of the federation tendered by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi.
At yesterday’s sitting in Abuja, the tribunal admitted in evidence, a bundle of exhibits containing the total number of permanent voter cards (PVCs) that were collected in 32 states of the federation before the 2023 general elections.
Also, the court took in evidence a bundle of documents that contained the total number of registered voters in the states.
The exhibits were brought before the court by the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, who alleged that the presidential election that held on February 25, was rigged in favour of President Bola Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obi’s legal team, led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, tendered the exhibit.
He told the court that the exhibits were duly certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
On its part, the electoral body, through its lawyer, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, said it was vehemently opposed to the admissibility of the exhibits in evidence.
Likewise, President Tinubu and the APC, who are the 2nd and 3rd Respondents in the matter, equally challenged the admission of the exhibits in evidence.
All the Respondents said they would adduce reasons behind their objections, in their final written address.
Despite the objections, the court admitted in evidence documents on the total number of PVCs from the 32 states and marked them as exhibits PCN 1 to PCN 32.
The court, equally admitted in evidence, certified true copy of a certificate of compliance on exhibits the petitioners earlier tendered in respect of Edo State.
Others electoral documents the court entered in evidence after they were tendered by the petitioners, were; certified copy of supplementary IReV reports for three Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Benue state, two LGAs of Cross River State, 12 LGAs of Lagos State, as well as one LGA in Gombe State.
Meanwhile, earlier in the proceedings, the petitioners called three more witnesses that testified before the court.
Dr. Chibuike Ugwoke, who appeared as the eight witness, PW-8, in the matter, told the court he is a cyber security expert.
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