The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party have tendered 48 video clips at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
The videos were produced by the media adviser to the petitioner, Mr Segun Sowunmi, to prove their case at the Tribunal as they challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the February 23 election.
The video clips were an interview which a Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, granted on Sunday Politics, a programme of Channels Television.
Igini said in the interview that the results of the 2019 general elections would be electronically transmitted to the commission’s server.
Another one showed army officers on Channels TV denying Buhari’s claim that his West African School Certificate was with the Nigerian Army.
The third one showed INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on Channels TV meeting with members of Computer Professionals and Practitioners in Nigeria, where he expressed the hope that the results of the general elections would be electronically transmitted.
Yakubu was seen saying in the clip that INEC was ready to partner computer professionals in the deployment of Information Communications Technology for the general elections as might be allowed “within the law”.
The fourth video clip was that of AFEX Nigeria training of INEC ad hoc workers on electronic transmission of results of the elections.
Under cross-examination by the lawyer representing INEC, Yunus Usman, Mr Sowunmi admitted that the video clips were recorded before the presidential election was conducted.
Atiku’s aide was then asked if he was aware of an interview by the INEC boss on February 5, 2019, where he was said to have declared that electronic transmission of results would not be used for the general elections.
He answered that he would possibly have the clip.
Sowunmi also repeated the same response during cross-examination by President Buhari’s lawyer, Dr Alex Izinyon.
However, counsel to the petitioners, Chris Uche, opposed attempts by Dr Izinyon to play the video made on February 5, to counter their claims.
He said although the video was not “pleaded” as part of President Buhari’s proposed exhibits, he would not object to the playing of the clip on the equipment provided by the respondents’ teams.
Dr Izinyon then requested and obtained an adjournment of the proceedings, to enable him to produce his equipment on Tuesday.
The Tribunal subsequently adjourned the matter till July 16 for the continuation of Sowunmi’s cross-examination.
