An agent of the Peoples Democratic Party has said INEC produced results from polling units in deserted Nasarawa town.
Atiku Abubakar
The Puch reports that a ward collation agent for the Peoples Democratic Party in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Aliyu Abdullahi, on Wednesday, told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, that he rejected results from two polling units located in a town that had been deserted.
Testifying as the 52nd petitioners, Abdullahi said the Independent National Electoral Commission produced results from the two polling units in Wuji Primary School and Kuba Sarkin Wuji, in Awe LGA, despite that the town had been deserted as a result of communal clashes involving Fulani herdsmen.
The PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar are the petitioners, who are challenging the outcome of February 23, 2019, which INEC declared was won by President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress.
Testifying as the petitioners’ witnesses on Wednesday, Abdullahi while being cross-examined by respondents’ lawyers, told the Justice Mohammed Garba-led five-man tribunal that the election in Awe Local Government was conducted “in substantial compliance with INEC guidelines” except for the two polling units.
Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), drew the witness’ attention to a part of his written statement where he said the two polling units were not in existence.
Asked to clarify it, he said, “the Polling Units still remained as polling units in Wuji”.
But he added, “As of that time there was nobody there.
“Results were produced in these polling units.”
Asked to give the figures of the results from the polling units, he said, “I did not collate it. That is why I can’t remember. I refused it.”
The attempt by the petitioners’ lawyer, Pius Akubo (SAN), to ask a re-examination question to enable the witness to clarify the seeming contradiction in his claim about the existence or otherwise of the two disputed polling units was blocked by the tribunal.