PDP, Atiku Close Case Against Tinubu Today

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, are expected to close their case today before the election petition tribunal in the suit challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 election.

At the time of filing this report, the presidential election petition tribunal had already commenced its sitting for today.

In previous sittings of the tribunal, the party has so far called 25 witnesses out of the 100 it scheduled and is therefore expected to call as many witnesses as possible today to support its argument.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), said on Tuesday he would try to make the witnesses a round figure of 30, while the tendered documents will take the place of the other 70 witnesses.

The major opposition party was expected to close its case on Tuesday, but the tribunal added two more days to the initial days given to the PDP to close its case based on the holidays declared in between the time the party was meant to tender documents and field witnesses.

Tribunal Admits Peter Obi’s Metadata Presented By Cyber Security Expert

Metadata of the results of polling units presented by a cyber security expert of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has been admitted by the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

The cyber security expert identified as Dr. Chibuike Ugwuoke also presented the URI of a letter by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Commissioner, Festus Okoye, titled “Alleged Plot To Abandon The Transmission of Polling Unit Results To INEC Portal,” dated November 16, 2022.

Lawyers to The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shettima all objected to the admissibility of the documents.

But the five-member panel of justices presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani admitted the documents as exhibits.