In their bid to establish allegations of gross violation of electoral laws in the conduct of the February 25 presidential election, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the election, Mr Peter Obi and his party on Tuesday, tendered additional 188 exhibits against the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election.
The exhibits, which comprise results sheets and I-Rev reports by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were tendered and admitted by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in aid of Obi and Labour Party’s joint petition challenging Tinubu’s return as President.
The petitioners, through their counsel, Mr Peter Afoba (SAN) tendered Forms EC40GPU, EC40G1 and I-Rev reports prepared by the electoral body after the election.
Breakdown showed that 45 EC40GPU forms were tendered in ten Local Government Areas of Niger State, 23 in seven Local Government Areas of Osun, 17 in three Local Government Areas of Edo and 52 EC40GPU forms in five Local Government Areas of Sokoto were also tendered.
Obi and his party also tendered 15 forms EC40G in eight Local Government Areas of Osun, 12 forms EC40G1 in 12 Local Government Areas of Edo, 15 forms EC40G in four Local Government Areas of Sokoto and nine forms EC40G1 in two Local Government Areas of Sokoto.
The petitioners also tendered five reports on the conduct of the election in Niger State and eight in Edo to back up their allegations of malpractices during the conduct of the presidential election.
Although the admissibility of the exhibits, which were duly certified by INEC were contested by INEC, Tinubu, Kashim Shetima and the APC, who are respondents in the petition, the five-member panel of Justices of the court, headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani admitted them as exhibits.
Also at the proceedings on Tuesday, Obi and LP tendered INEC’s certified true copies of I-Rev reports from 21 Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, 20 in Ogun State, 16 in Ekiti State, 19 in Rivers State and 25 Akwa Ibom.
The Court has adjourned further hearing of the petition till Wednesday, June 14, 2023.
