THREE witnesses who acted as presiding officers for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the February 25 presidential election have testified that only the results of the election failed to upload into the commission’s result viewing portal (IREV).
The witnesses stated this while testifying in a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the presidential election tribunal on Monday, June 19.
Led by Eyitayo Jegede, a presiding officer in Damaturu, Yobe state, Janet Turaki, stated that voter registration proceeded smoothly and all other processes were successful, except for results transmission.
Turaki explained that while the results of the Senate and House of Representatives polls were transmitted successfully, those of the presidential election could not be transmitted.
The witness informed the court that she followed both online and offline transmission methods as instructed, but the presidential election results failed to upload.
She emphasised that she and other party agents present at the polling unit signed the results on form EC8A before it was taken to the ward. Turaki further revealed that she filled out a complaint form provided by INEC when the results did not load on the IREV portal.
Christopher Ardo and Victoria Sani, two additional witnesses who served as INEC presiding officers in Bauchi and Katsina states, respectively, also testified that they were unable to transmit the presidential election results into the IREV system.
The court had subpoenaed all three witnesses through a joint application by the PDP and Abubakar.
During cross-examination, the witnesses acknowledged that the transmission failure was a result of network glitches.
However, they admitted that they were unaware of whether the results were eventually transmitted.
The court adjourned the proceedings to June 20 for further hearing.
INEC had declared Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
According to the Commission, Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, Abubakar had 6,984,520, while Obi polled 6,101,533.
The PDP and LP candidates rejected the result and approached the tribunal with separate petitions to challenge Tinubu’s victory.
They alleged that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election and that he failed to secure the majority of lawful votes cast at the poll.
They are also contesting that Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima, had a double nomination contrary to the Electoral Act.
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