INEC Boss Tenders Tinubu’s Biodata Form, Rivers BVAS Report, Others before Presidential Tribunal

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday, tendered four sets of documents before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) in respect of the petition of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Among the documents tendered were the Form EC9 of President Bola Tinubu, who is the second respondent in the petition.

The PREPEC, following an application by Atiku, had issued a subpoena on Mahmood in respect of certain documents relating to the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.

The INEC boss was expected to tender the said documents before the court yesterday, but the said documents were however tendered on his behalf by a Deputy Director, Certification and Complaints, Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, INEC Headquarters, Abuja, Mrs Moronkeji Tairu.

Lead counsel to Atiku and PDP, Chief Chris Uche, disclosed that the petitioners in the application of May 26, listed 11 items for the INEC boss to bring before the court.

However, Tairu pointed out that only four items requested by the petitioners were presented to the tribunal, adding that the items were Form EC8D series (results from states); EC8DA (final declaration of results); Certified True Copies (CTCs) of Rivers Bi-modal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) report, BVAS report from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Form EC9 of Tinubu (personal information supplied by Tinubu to INEC in aid of his qualification for the presidential election).

Although, INEC lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, joined Tinubu and APC’s lawyer to object to the admissibility of the documents, the court nevertheless admitted them as exhibits, adding that ruling in the objections would be delivered later.

Uche, while responding to INEC’s position that the certified documents have not been paid for, reiterated that the petitioners so far paid the sum of N6.7 million to INEC for certification, adding that the documents brought before the court were court subpoenaed documents.

The former Vice President had dragged Tinubu, INEC, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to court, protesting the process and eventual outcome of the presidential election which produced Tinubu as president.

Besides, allegations of irregularities and substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws for which Atiku and PDP are seeking the nullification of the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election, the petitioners also insisted that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the poll on account of alleged perjury, double nomination, dual citizenship, forfeiture of the sum of $460,000 to the United States of America over alleged complicity in drug related offences.

Hearing continues today.