Afrigather 
A witness of the Peoples Democratic Social gathering and Atiku Abubakar, one Ndubuisi Nwobu on Wednesday alleged that his candidate was rigged out by Labour Social gathering’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi in Anambra state throughout the 2023 presidential election.
Nwobu, who’s a PDP collation officer in Anmabra state, whereas testifying earlier than the Presidential Election Petitions Court docket on the resumed listening to on Atiku’s petition, informed the courtroom that the election was peaceable within the state, however, magic occurred to the votes of Atiku at completely different collation centres on the ward degree.
“The issue was not on the polling models, it was at ward degree that magic began taking place”, he stated, whereas additionally alleging that he was compelled to signal the election outcome sheets for the state
Underneath cross examination by Mohmud Abubakar, counsel to the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, the witness decried that election outcomes had been delayed and never uploaded to the INEC Consequence Verification Portal.
Learn additionally: Tribunal: Obi tenders final result, as INEC, others object to state, LG results
“I signed the outcome sheet when it was apparent that with out signing, a replica wouldn’t be made accessible to me,” he stated.
Nwobu, stated he visited about 30 polling models out of the 4,720 polling models within the state throughout the election. He’s Atiku’s eleventh witness to testify earlier than the five-member panel headed by Haruna Tsammani.
INEC, Tinubu’s attorneys object to Atiku’s subpoenaed witnessess
Earlier, counsel to INEC, the Labour Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu objected to the presentation of Atiku’s three subpoenaed witnesses, who’re election Adhoc employees throughout the elections.
INEC’s lawyer described the state of affairs as an ambush, saying the petitioners attorneys solely served him their witness assertion at the moment (Wednesday) and he would want time to review it and revert to his shopper.
Additionally, counsel to Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress opposed the calling of the witnesses, stating identical cause as INEC’s, and applauding that the transfer is opposite to directive of the courtroom, as contained within the pre-hearing report.
Chris Uche, Atiku’s lawyer nevertheless maintained that there was nothing stunning in what he did as a result of he already said in his petition that he would convey subpoenaed witnesses to show the election was rigged.
He argued that with a subpoenaed witness, they weren’t speculated to front-load their assertion to the respondents.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, due to this fact proposed standing down trial for half-hour to allow respondents to have a look at the paperwork and thereby cross study the primary subpoenaed witness.
The courtroom then adjourned to Thursday for continuation of the listening to.
