The March 18 governorship election that returned Governor Abdullahi Sule for a second term was in substantial compliance with laid down guidelines, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.
The deputy director of software and training in the commission, Ama Abom Agwu, said during cross-examination at the ongoing Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal Sitting in Lafia yesterday that the conduct of the poll was within INEC’s stipulation.
Answering questions during cross examination by counsel to Governor Abdullahi Sule, Adebayo Adeledu (SAN) and Ishaka Muddie Dikko (SAN) for INEC, the deputy director
said he was at the national control room in Abuja on the day of election, noting that he did not upload Form EC8A for the governorship election to the IRev but produced the password for the IRev.
He said 3, 242 polling unit results for the governorship election were uploaded to the IRev, representing 99.7 percent, pointing out that there were a few instances where the House of Assembly election results were uploaded instead of the governorship results on the IRev.
According to him, transmission of results from BVAS to the backup of IRev requires internet service, noting that the BVAS machine had been designed to work either offline or online.
Mr. Ama explained that he was in charge of all technical trainings nationwide and development of technical training manuals for INEC, adding that he supervised the IRev.
He produced BVAS and IRev reports with certification pages as ordered by the tribunal.
The prosecution counsel, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa (SAN) applied to tender the seven sets of documents before the tribunal.
However, counsel to the respondents objected to the tendering and admissibility of other documents.
They said they would advance their reasons for the objection in their final written addresses.
The prosecution counsel, Okutepa (SAN), prayed for adjournment of the case pending when INEC produces the BVAS machines and other documents.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, granted the prayer and adjourned the hearing till July 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 2023 for further hearing.
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