Buhari opposes admission of personal data form by Tribunal

President Muhammadu Buhari has  Opposed  the admission of his form CF001 which contain his personal data submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission,  INEC, for the February 23, presidential election.

The president’s objection against the said document was announced by his lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun at the presidential election petition tribunal  in Abuja.

While opposing the admission of the form, Olanipekun his reason would be made public at the address stage.

Apart from the form, The Peoples Democratic Party and it’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar also tendered the final result of the election signed by  the chairman of INEC Professor Yakubu Mahmood which the tribunal admitted as exhibit.

Also tendered and admitted as exhibit are documents containing total number of voters in the INEC register and the number of collected permanent voter’s cards for the election.

Atiku’s lead counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu also tendered six Newspapers publications and 10 press statements issued by INEC in respect of the election and  other documents numbering 6, 806 mainly election result sheets from Kano and Zamfara states.

The president and the other respondents including the All Progressive Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission all opposed the admission of the documents but reserved their reasons to their final addresses.

The Petitioners also kick against the invitation of witnesses to testify for them in their allegations of election malpractices, corruption, irregularities and violence against the conduct of election that produced  Buhari as President.

The first Witness Buba Galadima who adopted his statement made on oath said under cross examination by Buhari’s counsel,  Chief Wale Olanipekun that he supported Buhari in the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 presidential elections but parted ways with him due to Buhari’s alleged unfulfilled promises.

Mister Galadima said that he supported Atiku in the 2019 election because he was a better candidate who is educated, God-fearing and capable of providing good governance in the country.

The Witness however, denied parting ways with Buhari because he was denied privileges but insisted that Buhari failed to protect life and property of citizens and did not allow the rule of law to prevail.

Also under cross examination by the APC counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, Galadima further told the tribunal that he was not a member of the PDP and that his party – Reformed All Progressives Congress,  RAPC, had a memorandum of understanding with Atiku and

PDP on how to make life bearable for Nigerians, ensure security of life and property and allow the rule of law to prevail.

Another witness, Adejuwitan Ebenezar Olalekan also admitted transmitting election results to INEC server.

Mister Olalekan told the tribunal that INEC server was automatic and embedded in the smart card reader for the purposes of transmitting results.

He added that he personally transmitted results to INEC server through a code provided by the electoral umpire, saying that the server was connected to the smart card reader.