₦airaland Forum

I know too well that Lawan can never emerge as the next Senate President, this is practically impossible for the dullard at the helms of affair to spin. The PDP/Factor will still bite. Interesting times ahead ...... Tinubu is only wasting his time.

This man talks exactly the way he looks. Ugly talks from an uglified mind residing in an ugly container. Imagine the claptrap from the diminutive creature full of lies and platitudes ....

This diminutive demon cannot be of a sane mind. He is truly a terrible and pathological liar.

V.P’S DELUSION OF POWER AND HIS BLOODY TESTIMONY BY BOLAJI AKINYEMI

Columns & Opinions by Security Monitor -29/03/2019 018



It’s was first Friday in the month of March, as the custom was every First Friday of the month, the faithful were gathered in hundreds of thousands, a  beehive of activities were on going, buying and selling, crowd searching for space, family and friends struggling to stay within reach of one another at the new Arena.

The Holy Ghost Service (THGS) has gone beyond a religious gathering, it’s contribution to the economy of Nigeria is in no small measure, the transportation industry is the highest gainer with around a hundred thousand heading for Nigeria monthly by air from Europe, America and across the globe, the pilgrimage to the camp is a huge monthly routine. The camp is of course over due for considerable advantage of an International airport, and possibly a metroline to stern the congestion the road has become, as several hundred thousands do it by road, locally from every State of the Federation and from our neighbouring West African countries. The economic contributions of THGS is a story for another day.

The interjectory shout of somebody shout Hallelujah, rent the air occasionally. The multitude here, has reason indeed to shout Hallelujah. Since February Holy Ghost Service, the faithfulness of God has been proven in the lives and endeavours of many, this is confirmed by the the long queue of testifiers, one after the other they did. Then came the turn of a privileged Nigerian, an ordained Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, A Professor of law, and no doubt, a beneficiary of grace, the one and only born again, tongue talking, Christ believing, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He took to the rostrum, held the microphone and the faithfuls ritual of the THGS “somebody shout Hallelujah” reverberated through the entire camp; the audience, by now a mammoth, wasted no time at responding, echoes of Hallelujah rent the air.

The Vice President is also here like all other faithfuls to give all the glory to God, he screamed, “somebody shout Hallelujah”! A shout that has become a brand almost among all Christians, but it’s original to Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

The Vice President, Professor, Pastor or Pastor, Professor, which ever of is act’s, that is getting to you, was beaming with smile. The crowd went frenzy, noise of jubilation, which took time to drouse, after he managed to persuade the crowd of the need to be calm and listen to his testimony(s).

He announced, I have two testimonies the multitude applauded again.

He began, I was here late for February Holy Ghost Service, and Daddy G.O requested I must see him for prayers before I leave. While with him in his office, accompanied by my wife we knelt for prayers and G.O began to pray, … “Daddy grant your son protection”, he repeated again, “grant your son special protection” and repeated again, “grant your son special protection”. Days after, the duty of campaign took me (our Pastor Professor) to Kogi State” our chopper crash landed. Pastor, Professor continued; it was indeed a special protection, for nothing happened to me, and all that were on board, not even a scratch, we all came out alive… somebody shout Hallelujah!

The intervention of the prophetic grace of Daddy G.O was very evident in the prayers, for which our Pastor Professor have come to thank God. Daddy G.O obviously saw something coming for which he entreated God to protect his son, three times he repeated and the Lord hearkened to the voice of his servant. All Nigerians and humanity should indeed join our Pastor/VP, his family and the RCCG family to shout Hallelujah to celebrate grace so graciously bestowed on our Pastor/V.P.

The second testimony, was given by our Professor V.P, on the 23rd of February, the Presidential and national assembly election held and we were re-elected, in reference to his principal (President Muhammadu Buhari) and himself on the platform of APC. Our Professor Vice-President went further to emphasise on their electoral victory, “IT CAN ONLY BE GOD”! The Professor remarked, without the conscience of a Pastor’. Am lost! How can the worse we have ever seen of an election, be of God? The Spirit of God in me questioned, and I know it was same with everyone with the Spirit of God and their humanity intact. My humanity was provoked and my countenance sad. No! The story of blood that 2019 election was manipulated to be will not be turned a glory to be hung on God.

His first testimony was no doubt of God, given by the Pastor/ V.P Professor Yemi Osinbajo (PYO). My observation since 2015, he has become a contradicting actor, acting two scripts at the same time. The role of a Pastor and that of a Professor of law in the practice of politics, the latter seems to have revealed the best of our Pastor/Professor.

In the godly script of his first testimony, he was the beneficiary of a scene directed by God, but the role of Daddy G.O was very visible, a confirmation was established, for two can’t walk together except they agree (Amos 3:3). The safety of all on board with him, a  proof of the involvement of Divinity, This ALONE can ONLY be of God.

Same cannot be said of the second testimony, no reference was made to Daddy G.O or any man of God, not even to a direct assurance of victory to himself or his principal, the partner with whom he walked out their victory without fear and trembling.

Our Professor V.P should not drag God into his mastery of “election REMOTE controlling”, whatever that means, for his principal had alluded the victory of their party in Osun Governorship elections to the remote intervention of the “remote control” at pressing the inconclusive button, credited to Professor/ VP Yemi Osinbajo.

But on Friday 22nd of March 2019, the tribunal has revealed the voice of Jacob behind the manipulative hands of Esau; indeed a remote control.

Those who are skillful at manipulating the process were not, at calling witnesses, at the proceedings leading to the judgement, the beneficiary, Governor Oyetola had said “GOD” is our witness. But we know, that God, the ever truthful, cannot be called to witness a lie! He is not born of a Yak that he should lie. Neither is he the son of a Maymudu that he should conspire against the will of his people.

We also know, whatever the Lord has done shall be permanent. The ruling from the tribunal regarding Osun election has confirmed the intervention of an abridged hand in a peaceful process. The appeal cannot be otherwise, given the triumph of Justice Onnoghen against the ‘remote controlling’ of the Professor/ V.P and his principal. The bench is further emboldened to serve justice, to redeem the integrity of the bench deliberately dented by mischief makers in their determination to foster themselves on the electorates.

The Pastor in our VP has been cloaked by the peck of office and his mind beclouded by the paraphernalia. The Professor is very much alive to state duties, but alas the Pastor has forgotten the ways and the attributes of the God of the faith we both shared, the faith he was born in but I was converted to.

I will like him to be reminded that in Christ was life and the life was the light of men.

How can 2019 elections REMOTELY controlled to serve death to Nigerians,  be said to be of God?

How can the victory gotten through a war remotely declared against unarmed innocent Nigerians in Rivers, spilling blood and taken lives in the process be of God?

How can the women who became widow and children who became fatherless identify with the Professor VP testimony that their ordeal was an act of God to give our Professor and his principal a divinely deserving victory?

How can fraud so brazenly carried out in the name of an election in Anambra State be attributed to God ?

What would have made our Professor, Vice-president say their victory can only be God?

All who shared the faith of God in Christ Jesus should therefore prevail on the VP to withdraw his second testimony, knowing that God does no evil.

 The Vice President and his principal should keep their celebration of blood within the circle of their cabals and security chief who aided the shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians to seal their victory?

To Daddy G.O and the entire family of God, it is important that while the glory of God for the first testimony remains unquestionable and the altar and grace of our father Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye can be associated with it.

We must dissociate, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, The Holy Ghost Service and The Redeem Christian Church of God, and the faith of God in Christ Jesus from V.P second testimony.

The impression must be corrected at April Holy Ghost Service, God forbid that our altar will become a place to rejoice over the shedding of blood of innocent Nigerians.

It cannot be God, when it is remotely human.

Dr. Bolaji Akinyemi, is minister of God, President Voice of His Word Ministries and National Convener of PVC-NAIJA.

http://securitymonitorng.com/2019/03/29/v-ps-delusion-of-power-and-his-bloody-testimony-by-bolaji-akinyemi/

Cc: Seun, Lalasticlala

ChristianNorth:
Ratello, are you noticing that the total number of accreditation is equal to total votes casted?

Now compare this to the presidential election where there was inconsistency.

Buhari is a bloody election rigger, a cancer to out democracy. We are recovering our mandate at the tribunal.

Cc: senatordave1

I was busy yesterday that I could barely manage the needed time to respond to your post my comrade, yes we truly saw through the despot for whom he is. Buhari is a cancer and it is my prayer that he will be disgraced out of power

ChristianNorth:
I understand. Frustration make people to imagine things

Comrade I beg of you stop quoting that dude abeg

What a country.....so sad what this Country had turned into under these worthless ones.

StOla:
Ratello Ranting, you will need to increase the volume of your political frustration.

Those of us at the precipice of success, cannot hear the weak and feeble wailings of those at the bottom who wish they had succeeded too.

But in all, I commiserate with you and your Alhaji.

Precipice of success indeed you just keep deceiving yourself alone.

StOla:
Very unfortunate fellow.

I sometime feel sorry for them and how much they put hope in an embodiment of corruption that Atiku represented, and a certified failure that PDP accomplished successfully for 16yrs.

Now they are yarning sophistries while still encumbered with the baggage of a shameful political association.

The funny one here is still hyperventilating on nothingness.... we are stacking the realities before his face he is still hellbent on his monotonic tunes of PDP 16 years and I want to ask, what happened to our nation in those 16 years? Please educate the house and tell us who had been in charge of Lagos commonwealth in the past 20 years between Tinubu and Lagos Governors? No shame

StOla:
When you realise that all the wailings above came from a PDP supporter, who sees nothing wrong with 16yrs of failure, and still wanted to saddle the country with a President who boasted that he must enrich his friends by abusing his office like he enriched them with PTDF funds when he was Vice-President.

You ultimately realise that the above are the rantings of a sore loser who has no shame, and whose agony is assured for the next 4years.

Buju Banton was a singer, Ratello Ranting is a wailer.

Still harping on the flat discordant tunes of 16 years of PDP is this and that when we all knew and still remembered that PDP's 16 years brought ideas that brought fame to our nascent democracy and brought food to the tables of our people through the many jobs outlets created unlike the poverty your god, Buhari and party, APC are currently spreading like STDs around. Are you ok sha? Always say the truth.

Superfluity of nothingness and celebration of a grandmaster in corruption and gross impunity. Nigeria, I hope it would not be wriitten against her epitaph at the close of age that, "Here Lies A Country That Choose To Celebrate Mediocrity"...... Here is a man called Mr Integrity, celebrating a conman, Tinubu, who pocketed the entire resources of a whole State as Lagos for the past 20 years yet human beings here will bare their teeth eulogising these demons. Rest in peace Nigeria, only God can help your predicament now if only you are ready to change.

How Electoral Act 2015 Legalised Card Reader – Punch Newspapers

Femi Falana

In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld all the disputed governorship elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission on April 11, 2015 and undertook to adduce reasons for each of the judgments at a later date.  Last month, the court announced  the reasons for the decisions. Essentially, the apex court vehemently disagreed with the judgments of the Court of Appeal which had set aside election results which emanated from manual accreditation instead of the card reader machines prescribed by the INEC.  For not validating the use of card reader for voter accreditation some commentators, including lawyers, have criticised the verdicts of the apex court. The criticisms which have greeted the judgments are not unexpected given the controversy which trailed the use of card reader for the elections.

Although the National Assembly had approved fund for the purchase of the card reader machines in the Appropriation Act of 2014, the then ruling party wanted to use its control of the federal legislature to discredit the electronic device. Hence, the immediate-past chairman of the INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, was summoned to the Senate to justify the introduction of the card reader for voter accreditation. In taking up the challenge, Prof. Jega demonstrated the use of card readers and its capacity to eliminate electoral fraud perpetrated at the accreditation stage of election. At the end of the exercise the Senate was compelled to endorse the use of card reader for the 2015  general election. Thereafter, the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2015 which sought to legitimise the use of card reader was unanimously passed by both chambers of  the National Assembly. The bill was signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan on March 20, 2015.

Prior to the amendment, Section 52 of the Electoral Act had prohibited the INEC from the use of any form of electronic voting. But following the amendment of the provision, the INEC has been conferred with the power to determine the procedure to use for any election. Specifically, Section 52 states that “voting at an election shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission.” With the amendment of the law the INEC was on terra firma when it decided to use the card reader machine for the accreditation of voters for the 2015 general election.

In spite of the initial hiccups encountered by voters with respect to the use of the card reader machines it is generally agreed that the technological device enhanced the credibility of the 2015 general election. Indeed, a number of the election petitions filed by aggrieved candidates were anchored on the gap between the number of voters accredited with the card reader machines and the fake election results declared by some returning officers. At the election petition tribunals, the INEC, through its lawyers, canvassed rather curiously that the directive on accreditation of voters with the aid of  card reader machines was not backed by any law. And that the failure to comply with the directive could not vitiate any election conducted by the INEC.

Some members of the Election Petition Tribunals and the Justices of the Court of Appeal upheld the submissions of the INEC lawyers. In their judgments they  ignored the figures of accredited voters obtained via the card reader machines.  Others were however convinced that the directive on the use of card reader was backed by the letter and spirit of the Electoral Act. In the case of APC v Kolawole Agbaje, Ogbuinya JCA traced the genesis of the card reader when he said, “The evolution of the concept of smart card readers is a familiar one. It came to being during the last general election held in March and April, 2015 in Nigeria. On this score, it is a nascent procedure injected into our infant and fledgling electoral system to ensure credible and transparent election. Specifically, it is aimed to concretise our fragile process of accreditation – the keystone of any suffrage. The concept, owing to its recent invention by INEC, a non-legislative body, traces its paternity to the manual for election officials, 2015.”

The above view of Ogbuinya J.C.A was adopted in toto by Ejembi Eko JCA in the case of Umana v Emmanuel, when he stated that, “I do not believe that with the fast pace of development globally and the whole world embracing the latest IT technologies, that resistance should be placed to emerging technologies geared towards transparency in elections, by backward thinking interpretations that can only be deleterious to the system. Holding otherwise would be to truncate the great efforts of the 3rd respondent (INEC) in its bid to ensure a credible election and in so doing attempt to plug all loopholes that can be exploited by unscrupulous persons.”

Regrettably, the Supreme Court did not share the progressive view of both Ogbuinya and Eko JJCA on the legal validity of the technological device. Thus, in the  case of Edward Okereke v Dave Umahi  the apex court held that the appellant failed woefully to prove the allegation of over-voting  as he did not tender the voters’ registers along with the card reader reports.  Justice Cletus Nweze, who read the lead judgment of the court, held that, “Indeed, since the Guidelines and Manual, which authorised the use and deployment of the electronic card reader machine, were made in exercise of the powers conferred by the Electoral Act, the said card reader cannot, logically, depose or dethrone the Voters’ Register whose judicial roots are firmly embedded or entrenched in the selfsame Electoral Act from which it (the Voters’ Register) directly, derives its sustenance and currency….since the National Assembly has not deleted the provision of Section 49 of the Electoral Act (2010), which allows manual accreditation, it would be wrong for any petitioner to seek to rely solely on the report of the card reader (which is intended as a supplementary measure to the already provided means of accreditation) to prove over-voting.”

However, in spite of the clear position of the INEC on the mandatory use of card readers for the governorship and state legislative elections it did not adduce any argument in favour of the use of electronic device  at the various election petition tribunals and the appellate courts. It is particularly intriguing that the INEC did not defend the card reader by relying on Section 52 of the Electoral Act (Amendment Act) 2015. If the attention of the Justices of the Supreme Court had been drawn to the 2015 amendment of the Electoral Act they could not have held that accreditation by the card reader machine was supplementary to manual accreditation. In other words, the judgments of the apex court would have legitimised the use of card reader for voter accreditation. No doubt, the legitimisation of the card reader would have had dire consequences on the results of the disputed governorship elections.

Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, writes from Lagos

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com

https://punchng.com/how-electoral-act-2015-legalised-card-reader/

Note: the above narratives was written by a renowned SAN, Femi Falana in support of the Card Reader as a tool of transparency in 2015, now this is 2019 where legal backings to the usage of the 2019 elections held sway so it is practically unprofessional for any legal team to downplay the importance of the Smart Card Reader in this legal tussle between Atiku and Buhari.

Cc: Seun, Lalasticlala this is a matter of urgency and deeper education, enlightenment on a burning political issue, kindly push it to the front page for further contribution, dissection and thorough analyses by brilliant minds. Thank you.

ChristianNorth:
The Electoral act was amended in 2015 and it legitimized the use of card readers, it was signed by Jonathan

The NASS amended the act again in 2017 and 2018 to include e-collation which the card reader has capability to, but Buhari declined assent.

Again, the electoral act section 52 empowes INEC to set electoral guidelines and this guidelines have the full weight of the law and in the guideline for the last election, INEC clearly stated that any result from a PU without a card reader is invalid.

So card readers will be admissible in the tribunal and all those kangaroo votes Buhari got from the North will be cancelled.

https://punchng.com/how-electoral-act-2015-legalised-card-reader/

Many of these Buharideens are radiating under the influence of what I called "intellectual masturbation" they just enjoy this self pleasure interpretation of the law which is open for all to see. Smart card readers have come to stay and a useful tool now to determine the real situation in any electoral processes as backed up by the electoral act. I am still wondering why some folks choose to be stupid in a glaring case as this.

Comrade ChristianNorth kindly come over sir let's discuss this topic I have been trying to make these Buharideens reason things out but they won't budge.

ChristianNorth:
You are going to too far.

They should just prove why total accreditation is not consistent with total votes casted.

They are not winning this case, we will beat them at all levels and bury them at the supreme court.

Maybe you should take a look at the supreme court composition.

Currently we have 16 Justices, 4 alone are Igbos, another 5 are from the South, 1 is from Kaura, in Southern Kaduna and another 1 is a christian from MB.

It will be 11 vs 5.

Only 7 will seat in judgment and I am certain an Igbo man will read the lead judgment.

Why do you think APC are hell bent on stalling this case?

You are a god comrade.

Oya let's have them....yeye and demonic electoral umpire that is too biased.

THE INEC'S SERVER FEVER AND THE INCONCLUSIVENESS OF THE 2019 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

So Buhari cannot celebrate like he did in 2015 because of INEC's server? It simply means that the real result of the Presidential Election has not been declared yet. Wike of Rivers State should not cry too much. He is not alone. The truth we must tell ourselves is that our true Presidential Election result is inconclusive. Perhaps the Temple of Justice will be bold enough to look into the content of INEC's server and tell the people who the real winner is. We shall wait.

Something tells me that the usurper of our mandate left the country out of fear of the inevitable. It requires a high level of cognition for one to steal from the people. I have read the over 140-pages petition from the 1st and 2nd petitioners. The facts are too glaring for any legal tussle. No lawyer or team of lawyers, however suave and witty, can divulge a copacetic response to the weighty cum fact-based petition I read. It is all over.

If the respondents could not hatch a single developmental project since 2015, how then can they respond to such evidence-laden petition? Buhari is gone for good. Even a trillion Naira cannot make the presiding judges turn a blind eye to the deluge of evidence borne by the petition. Atiku was indeed very ready for this election. Steal, if you wish, but as long as you leave loose ends, punitive measures will become the consequence of your action. Wrongdoing is an art. The APC has proven time and again that it lacks thinkers. This sort of rigging can be likened to a rabbit that buries its head in hole, whereas its body and tail are exposed. That SERVER holds the key. That SERVER will SERVE the intended purpose. Atiku's free kick will beat the wall and find the back of the net. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a goooooaaaaaal!

I saw a ward-by-ward, state-by-state analysis of the infraction of figures by INEC and felt for them. Whoever rigged this election this way must be a dunce! In ne'er every state, deductions were made from the petitioners. What a horrible way to rig an election! It is indeed difficult to rig your way through from a disadvantaged position. Shame on the APC! Shame on Buhari and his faceless, inept cabal! The people's will must triumph over anarchy. 1.6m deficit is just too huge to hide from us.

Comr. Russell Idatoru Sunju Bluejack

INEC Needs To Prove To The Whole World That Buhari Won The Presidential Election. This Is Where It Becomes Tough For INEC! Where is my brilliant ChristianNorth bro, your input is needed here.

Preach it Prophet

Are you minding them

senatordave1:
Am busy here.lets adjourn.no need wasting further time on preliminaries when the main proceedings is yet to come

Better then..

Whoever push this one to the front page did a great disservice to Premium Times whom I thought should know better. Results captured by Atiku's team is just the total between PDP and APC to know other parties result with PDP and APC, just visit the www.factsdontlieng.com site supplied by the Atiku's team to see all the secrets and even the masterlists from INEC including server image. Etc

ChristianNorth:
You are smart.

You know section 49 of the first amendment after 2015 election that signed by Buhari included the use of card readers, so it is now recognized by law.

With that Section and INEC official guideline, PDP has a case here.

This is my position and for Atiku's team that includes about 13 SANs to have included the smart card readers as part of their evidences definitely they must have think it through because they are not that stupid.

Igahbarr:
. The use of card readers is not back by the Electoral Act but it is back by regulations validly made by Inec. Regulations have the same force of law as Acts made by the National assembly.

You are a god that thinks deep! Tell them more.

ChristianNorth:
Senatordave1 see someone that is learned here. Like I told you, APC will be relying on some outdated precedence to cling onto power, but we are going to set aside that precedence with chapter 1 of the electoral act and the INEC electoral guideline for 2019 election.

Only a lawyer knows this, your moniker shows you as one.

My learned friend I beg of you stop quoting that lost dude called senator or mayor he will only engage you in unnecessary pointless slanging match he is that empty trust me.

ChristianNorth:
APC will crush PDP if PDP tries to make this case an APC vs PDP thing.

But if they focus on INEC and on the weaknesses of their process, then it will be easier.

"The use of card reader in elections is foreign to our law" is a PDP argument that led to a precedence at the Supreme court but PDP can try to over turn this by basing their argument on Chapter 1 of the electoral act and the 2019 INEC election guidelines.

This is the reason we need Ikpeazu, this falls in his area of strength.

If that precedence is overturned, it is over for APC, because I am sure APC is building their cases on some electoral precedences.

Another brilliant one from the brilliant ChristianNorth unlike those buharideens who keeps misquoting my submission on the importance of the Smart Card Reader. According to chapter 1 of the electoral act, smart card reader in this year (2019) unlike in 2015 is an integral part of the Electoral Act which I know Atiku's team will use this time around. INEC even threatened to cancel election results in polling units across the nation where smart card readers are not used. It is that serious. Thank you pal

ChristianNorth:
Ratello, I forgot to mention, Wole was dragging the case at Osun Tribunal. I don't know what is wrong with that guy.

Just the watch how he will be dragging this case like snail.

An average Governorship petition in Nigeria stretches over 2 years but imagine in high profile cases Ikpeazu was involved in like

Mama Taraba vs Darius
Udom vs Umana
Wike vs Dakuku
Otti vs Ikpeazu

It took less than 6 months to be completed. When Peter Obi was impeached, Ikpeazu secured victory within 3 months, when INEC declared Uba as Governor as Anambra State, Ikpeazu returned the mandate within 14 days.

Peter Obi vs Ngige took him 3 years and this was the first of its kind in the country.

The delay tactics from Wole will not help him this time around.

ChristianNorth:
This case is very simple and PDP is going to win this case by focusing on INEC legal team like Ikpeazu did in Oyo instead of on Buhari-APC team led by Wole.

Simple INEC legal team has to prove why despite concurrent accreditation and voting, there are inconsistency in the number of total votes casted and total number of accredited voters.

PDP should just adopt Ikpeazu strategies and win this case for Nigerians instead of trying to battle Wole-Yusuf Alli. I don't believe Uzokwu can stand these duo.

Honestly this part of your perspicuous analyses got me 100% I have been telling some of these uncouth Buharideens that as it stands today, judging by your submission here that the petitioner should focus on INEC, I think the Smart Card Reader will be a great asset to enhance justice on the part of the petitioner. Honestly speaking bro you saw it exactly the way it is.

ChristianNorth I need your usual brilliant analyses here bro. Ignore those despicable lots always hitting at you. You are a god to them.

Let's keep it rolling. Impunity must be buried under this useless and demonic government of Buhari

#Presidential Poll: Tribunal Begins Hearing On Atiku’s Petition Against Buhari Tomorrow, Wednesday

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, will on Wednesday, commence hearing on the petition the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, filed to challenge the outcome of the February 23 presidential election.

The petitioners, are seeking to invalidate the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the presidential contest.

Vanguard learned Tuesday night that a five-man panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal will conduct pre-hearing session on the petition Atiku and his party lodged before the tribunal on March 18.

It was however not clear if the panel will be headed by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa or by Justice Abdul Aboki who earlier made preliminary orders that compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to grant all the parties access to electoral materials that were used in the conduct of the election.

Aside INEC, President Buhari and the APC were cited as Respondents in the petition. It will be recalled that the electoral body had on February 27, declared that Buhari won the presidential contest with 15,191,847 votes to defeat his closest rivalry, Atiku, who it said polled a total of 11,262,978 votes.

However, in their joint petition, Atiku and his party, insisted that data they secured from INEC’s server, revealed that they defeated President Buhari with over 1.6million votes.

The petitioners alleged that INEC had at various stages of the presidential election, unlawful allocated votes to President Buhari, saying they would adduce oral and documentary evidence to show that result of the election as announced by the electoral body, did not represent the lawful valid votes cast Atiku alleged that in some states, INEC, deducted lawful votes that accrued to him, in its bid to ensure that Buhari was returned back to office.

The petitioners said they would call evidence of statisticians, forensic examiners and finger-print experts at the hearing of the petition to establish that the scores credited to Buhari were not the product of actual votes validly cast at the polling units.

“The Petitioners plead and shall rely on electronic video recordings, newspaper reports, photographs and photographic images of several infractions of the electoral process by the Respondents”, they added.

More so, in one of the five grounds of the petition, Atiku and the PDP maintained that Buhari was not qualified to run for the office of the President, contending that he does not possess the constitutional minimum qualification of a school certificate.

The petitioners equally serialised results that were recorded from each state of the federation in order to prove that the alleged fraudulent allocation of votes to Buhari and the APC, took place at the polling units, the ward collating centres, local government collating centres and the State collating centres.

They argued that proper collation and summation of the presidential election results would show that contrary to what INEC declared, Atiku, garnered a total of 18,356,732 votes, ahead of Buhari who they said got a total of 16,741,430 votes.

“The Petitioners shall rely on the evidence of Statisticians, Forensic Examiners and other Experts, detailing the data analysis on the votes at all levels of collation, from the polling units to the final return”, he added.

“The Petitioners state that Smart Card Readers deployed by the 1st Respondent, in addition to accreditation, equally transmitted electronically the results of voting from polling units directly to the server of the 1st Respondent.

The Presiding Officers of the 1st Respondent directly inputted the results from the polling units at the end of voting and transmitted directly to the server, in addition to manually taking the Form EC8As to the Wards for collation.

The 1st Respondent is hereby given notice to produce the records of results from each polling unit uploaded and transmitted electronically by officials of the 1st Respondent through smart card readers to the 1st Respondent’s Servers.

“The Petitioners plead and rely on the 1st Respondent’s Manual Technologies 2019, and notice is hereby given to the 1st Respondent to produce same at the trial.

The 1st Respondent’s agents at the polling units used the Smart Card Reader for electronic collation and transmission of results.

The Petitioners plead and shall rely on and play at the trial, the video demonstration by the 1st Respondent of the deployment of Smart Card Reader for authentication of accreditation and for transmission of data.

“The Petitioners hereby plead and rely upon the extract of data as contained on the 1st Respondent’s servers as at 25th February 2019, notice to produce whereof is hereby given to the 1st Respondent.

The Petitioners also will rely on the data on the 1st Respondent’s central server between 25th February 2019 and 8th March 2019 and hereby also give notice to produce same before this Honourable Court.

“The Petitioners hereby plead the electronic data on the servers of the 1st Respondent and shall at the trial give evidence of the source of the data analysis and data material, including the website: www.factsdontlieng.com.

“The 1st Respondent had on the day of election published the total number of registered voters in the entire Country as 84,004,084. Subsequently, the same 1st Respondent published a different figure of 82,344,107 as registered voters, leading to an unexplained difference of 1,659,977 registered voters.

The 1st Respondent equally published the number of permanent voter’s cards (PVC) collected for the purpose of the presidential election as 72,775,502.

“The Petitioners state that whereas the actual number of voters accredited at the election was 35,098,162, the 1st Respondent wrongly suppressed and/or reduced the number of accredited voters to 29,394,209 to the detriment of the Petitioners.

“The 1st Respondent had by its Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2019 made pursuant to the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) provided for the mandatory use of card readers for the said election.

The 1st Respondent by its press release on smart card readers issued in February 2019 and signed by its National Commissioner, Barrister Festus Okoye, emphasised and reiterated that “The use of the Smart Card Reader is NOT ONLY MANDATORY but its deliberate non-use attracts the sanction of possible prosecution of erring officials in accordance with the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections.

“This is in addition to the voiding of any result emanating from such units or areas as was done in the Presidential and National Assembly elections of February 23, 2019.”

By this stated position of the 1st Respondent, all accreditation not done by smart card reader in the presidential election was and remain void.

“The Petitioners state and contend that the 2nd Respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election; and that from the data on each State of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in the 1st Respondent’s server, the 1st Petitioner, as opposed to the 2nd Respondent, scored majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

“Wherefore, the Petitioners pray jointly and severally against the Respondents as follows:- “That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent (Buhari) was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast in the said election and therefore the declaration and return of the 2nd Respondent by the 1st Respondent as the President of Nigeria is unlawful, undue, null, void and of no effect.

“That it may be determined that the 1st Petitioner (Atiku) was duly and validly elected and ought to be returned as President of Nigeria, having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election to the office of the President of Nigeria held on 23rd February 2019 and having satisfied the constitutional requirements for the said election.

“An order directing the 1st Respondent to issue Certificate of Return to the 1st Petitioner as the duly elected President of Nigeria. PDP, Atiku in post-election trauma, depression – APC “That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the said election.

“That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent submitted to the Commission affidavit containing false information of a fundamental nature in aid of his qualification for the said election”. In the alternative, the petitioners prayed the tribunal to nullify the February 23 presidential election and order a fresh poll.