LP, Obi witness counter report on live transmission of result

By Vivian Okejeme

Asubpoenaed witness of the Labour Party (LP) and Mr Peter Obi, has countered a purported reporting of nontransmission of results to IREV, allegedly made by Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

At the resumed proceeding, Friday, Counsel to the Petitioners, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN) had tendered through the witness, Ijeoma Osamor, an AIT anchor, a video of Yakubu, in a briefing on November 22, 2022, that there would be live transmission of results of the February 25 presidential election to IREV for public viewing.

However, during a cross examination, counsel to All Progressive Congress (APC)

Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) sought to tender a copy of a report in the Tribune Newspaper, which reported INEC chairman announcing the commission would no longer transmit results live.

Osamor, however, countered the submission by insisting that the INEC did not make the announcement.

“INEC chairman, I covered the 22nd February briefing at the collation centre, never said they will no longer transmit results live. He took us round the collation centre,” she said.

Owonikoko asked her that the report is in the Tribune Newspaper, to which she replied that she works with a broadcast station which deals with cameras, adding that it is possible the newspaper got their reporting from an interview. Labour Party’s maths Professor prepared reports

Another witness, Eric Ofuegbu, a Professor of mathematics says he only analyzed reports from two states.

The two states are Benue and Rivers state where the Labour Party and Peter Obi stated massive over voting that affected the overall result of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

Ofuegbu who claimed not to have been paid for the research he did on the results from the two states, admitted to have relied on data from the INEC result viewing portal for his analysis.

He claimed in his witness statement that based on his collation and mathematical tabulation, there were cases of massive over voting in the two states

Under cross examination by INEC’s lead counsel Abubakar

Mahmoud SAN, the witness was presented with a copy of the presidential election result sheet from polling unit 002, in Degema, Rivers state.

The result sheet showed that 40 persons were accredited and 40 persons voted in the polling unit, adding that the equal number of accredited voters and those who voted contradicts the claim of over voting

Under further questioning on why he chose Rivers and Benue states as his main areas of interest, the witness said it was just random.

The Professor was then asked whether an analysis of election results from just two states is enough to make conclusions on a presidential election, and he said he was limited by time.

The matter continues, Monday, 19th June.