By Edith Nwapi
A cyber security expert, Dr Chibuike Ugwuoke tendered documents at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday in support of a petition filed by Mr Peter Obi.
Obi, candidate of Labour Party (LP) at the Feb. 25 presidential election is challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu as declared by INEC in a petition marked as CA/PEPC/03/2023.
Respondents are President Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, their All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC.
At the resumed hearing of the petition, Obi’s counsel, Mr Patrick Ikweato (SAN) told the court that Ugwuoke had data to nullify results of the election in some polling units.
Ugwuoke also tendered a press statement issued by INEC’s National Commissioner for Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye on Nov 11, 2022 as exhibit.
Counsel for INEC, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), however, objected to the invitation of the witness even before he was announced.
He argued that the petitioner served respondents with Ugwuoke’s statement only a few minutes before the court went into session and that respondents needed time to study same to be able to cross-examine the witness.
Counsel for Tinubu, Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel for Vice-President Kashim Shettima and APC aligned with Mahmoud’s argument.
All the counsel objected to the admissibility of Obi’s witness and his documents arguing that they would state their reasons in their final addresses.
The court admitted the documents as exhibits, however.
Ugwuoke is expected to testify before the five-member panel of the court presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani on Thursday. (NAN)
