As the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its Governorship Candidate in Kaduna State, Isah Mohammed Ashiru presented video evidence at the ongoing election petition tribunal on Thursday, its witness, a Data Analyst failed to prove his allegation that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rigged the election in favour of Governor Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Hon. Ashiru and the PDP who are the first and second petitioners brought a big screen television, to display documents, particularly election result sheets from selected polling units in the March 18 governorship election in the State.
Their witness, a graduate of statistics from Kaduna Polytechnic and Data Analyst working with Microfocus Limited, Mr Bako Moses Dunia while displaying documents on the screen said, the March 18th election results were doctored in favour of the APC with magic biro.
Mr Dunia who displayed documents he said to be IREV copies, Certified True Copies and Duplicate Copies of forms EC8A for Polling Units 001, 05 and 018 of Makera Ward, said at polling unit 018, original copy of form EC8A was doctored after the duplicate was issued to the agents. While at polling unit 05, figures in the IREV and the agent’s copy tally, but the original was doctored with a magic biro.
However, during cross examination, when Counsel to Governor Sani, Chief Duro Adeyele SAN, asked the witness to show the court a sample of a magic biro and proof it was used on the result, the witness said, he was not in possession of a magic biro, and that, his claim of the use of magic biro to alter the result was an insinuation, as it could have been a biro or pencil.
The witness also admitted that he gave his written statement before the court on the 9th of April, 2023 where he stated, that the election results were tampered with, as figures on the IREV and forms EC8A he worked on were different, but he agreed that, certified through copies he claimed to have worked on were issued by INEC on 24th May and 24th June, 2023 respectively.
Also, when asked whether he was at the polling units in Makera, for him to have concluded in his written statement that, there was ballot stuffing, Mr Dunia said, he was not at the polling units, but he drew his conclusion of ballot stuffing from the figures he got from the documents.
Counsel to Governor Uba Sani, Chief Adeyele SAN also punched the testimony of the PDP witness, when he drew his attention to it that, the PDP agent for Makera Ward, had signed the form EC8B, which he said was an indication that he agreed that, the election result for Makera Ward was in order.
The Witness however replied that, he was not informed that, the PDP Agent signed the election result (Form EC8B).
The PDP Counsel Oluwole Iyamu SAN however moved a motion for the court to allow them extract information from INEC’s BVAS machines.
The Tribunal Panel Chaired by Justice Victor Oviawie granted the prayer and gave the Petitioners’ Counsels 48hrs to file their motion. He however adjourned the case till Monday 24th July, 2023 for continuation of the hearing.
