COVER
INEC Uploaded 18,088 Blurred Election Results into IReV – Obi’s Witness
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) was informed yesterday that a total of 18,088 blurred result sheets were uploaded into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal after the February 25 presidential election.
A Professor of Mathematics at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka in Anambra State, Eric Uwadiegwu Ofoedu told the Court that he came across the blurred election results while carrying out analysis on them.
Prof Ofoedu is the fourth witness of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Mr.
Peter Obi whose petition is challenging the declaration of President Bola Tinubu as a winner of the poll.The witness told the court that he carried out an investigation and data analysis of the 2023 Presidential Election results on the IReV portal.
Led in evidence at yesterday’s proceedings by Obi’s lawyer, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Ofoedu also told the court that he analyzed results from Rivers and Benue States and a report on his findings made.
His evidence was, however, cut short when INEC lawyer, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmood (SAN) told the court that he had just been served the statement of the witness in court and needed time to peruse it.
He asked the court to step down the witness and grant him time to look at the documents filed and prepared by the witness to enable him cross-examine the witness
Lead Counsel for Tinubu and Shettima, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) aligned themselves with the submissions of Mahmood (SAN) but suggested that the witness should adopt his evidence while they cross-examine him later.
The petitioner’s lawyer apologized for serving the respondents late but told the court that they obtained the subpoena on Wednesday.
He requested that the witness be allowed to adopt his evidence in chief while the court determines whether or not cross-examination will be done later.
The Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani-led panel granted the request by the LP and deferred Cross-examination till June 16.
Ikpeazu informed the court about a letter of request written to the witness by the LP, on February 20, asking him to carry out data analysis for the presidential election, as well as the subpoena served on the witness.
The Senior Lawyer tendered all the documents as evidence in the petition before the court.
Counsel for INEC and Tinubu/Shetima objected to the admissibility of the letter but did not object to the Subpoena.
Justice Tsammani admitted all the documents tendered by the LP as exhibits in the petition.
The petitioners then called their second witness, Lummie Edeveie, a staff of Arise News Television to present evidence before the court.
Led in evidence by Patrick Ikweto (SAN), Edeveie presented a flash drive containing a video which was tendered before the court.
Though the respondents objected to the admissibility of the flash drive as evidence, they did not object to its being played in court.
The application was granted by the court and the video was played in the open court.
The video contained the speech by the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu at the Chatham House in the United Kingdom where he spoke about the elections, gave assurances on the potency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the IReV portals ahead of the general elections.
Justice Tsammani after admitting the flash as exhibits adjourned further hearing in the petition to June 16.
Commission Chairman Responds to Atiku’s Subpoena, Sends Representative to Tribunal
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, has honoured a subpoena served on him by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku and the PDP had subpoenaed the INEC chairman to tender some sensitive documents before the Presidential Election Petition Court.
At the court session yesterday, Chris Uche, the petitioners’ counsel, told the court that Yakubu is represented by Morenikeji Tahiru, Deputy Director, Certification and Complaint, Legal Drafting and Clearance Department.
Tahiru said she had four out of the 11 documents itemised in the subpoena dated May 26, 2023.
She presented item one which includes form EC8D series and EC8A.
EC8D series are presidential election results from all 36 states and the FCT while EC8DA is the final declaration of result.
Tahiru also submitted item seven which is the certified true copy of BVAS report in Rivers state.
Item 11 which is accreditation data from BVAS machines used across all states of the federation was also tendered.
Lastly, the INEC director tendered form EC9 which is the INEC form submitted to the commission by Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president.
Although Tahiru was called to present the documents, she was not identified as a witness — an act which the respondents’ counsel frowned against.
Abubakar Mahmoud, INEC counsel, opposed the admissibility of the documents in evidence. According to him, “many of those documents are not relevant”.
He also said the documents have not been paid for by the petitioners.
Other respondents also objected to the admissibility of the document but reserved their arguments for the final address.
Responding to Mahmoud’s claim of non-payment, Uche said his clients already paid N6.7 million for the certification of the documents.
Meanwhile, earlier at the court session, Samuel Oduntan, the petitioners’ 21st witness, was cross-examined by the respondents’ lawyers.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja Federal Government says it will consider using private sector funds through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) as a funding option for certain key projects in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.This was disclosed when the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji.
The meeting which was at the instance of the ICRC DG, sought partnership between the two government bodies to harness PPPs to advance critical projects that can boost the economic and technological growth of the nation. Speaking during the meeting, Dr Ewalefoh said that science and technology, if properly deployed, can serve as a key driver of the economic growth and progress of Nigeria.“Many countries around the world have used Science and Technology to drive the economic growth and prosperity of their country and people.“We are here to brainstorm with you and find ways by which we can deepen the usage of science and technology for the advancement of our country.“Over the last two decades, countries and businesses have harnessed technology and innovation for upscaling their economy and improve the efficiency in their service delivery.“That is where we want our country to go, and we believe that is the vision you are championing under the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.“It is, therefore, my aspiration that your ministry will partner with the ICRC to see areas where we can champion private sector funding through Public Private Partnership to develop some of the projects specific to the ministry,” he said.The DG informed the Minister that there was already a collaboration with an agency under its purview but stressed that there were other key areas where PPP could be harnessed to deliver laudable projects in the Ministry.He added that the commission has streamlined its processes to accelerate PPP project delivery and deliver important services to the Nigerian people, pointing out that some key private sector operators have already verbalised their desire to work with the Ministry in a PPP arrangement.In his remarks, the Minister expressed his excitement at the appointment of Dr Ewalefoh as the DG of ICRC, saying that the DG’s wealth of experience will revolutionise the PPP sphere in Nigeria, adding that, indeed, a square peg has been placed in a square hole.The Minister emphasised that the Ministry served as a key enabler of economic growth and has had the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu demonstrated through major approvals granted the Ministry.He said that the President had given approval for methanol production, saying that although the implementation process were still being finalised, foreign direct investments for the project has reached over $1.5 billion.“We want to go into beneficiation of raw materials and we have the presidential executive order number 5 to back it, such that we don’t have to export our raw materials, but process it to a level before exporting. We are looking at doing green hydrogen, too,” he said.He stressed that Nigeria could make a lot more from cassava export than it was currently making if the raw cassava was processed before export.“We believe that with ICRC, we will partner in doing things right and enabling us to forge a better outlook for most of these projects.“In methanol, we are going to involve ICRC more closely to see the way forward and how it can benefit the country better.“I am happy that you are here; coming here shows that you know what you are doing. You are taking services to those that need it,” he said.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani armed militia, on Wednesday night, reportedly invaded Anyiin town in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Multiple reports indicated that no fewer than 15 persons were killed in the attack, leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries while yet to be ascertained number were missing.
The attack, which was said to have been launched at about 6:30pm by the well-armed Fulani herders, caught the community unawares as the invaders reportedly emerged from different locations shooting at everyone in sight.
The attackers, who were said to be numbering about 200, were reported to be wielding AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons, operated for about three hours.
An eyewitness and community leader in Anyiin town, Chief Joseph Anawah, said the armed herders overwhelmed security operatives stationed in the town because of their large numbers.
He said it was a coordinated operation, stating that the alleged Fulani terrorists took residents of the town unawares, surrounded the town and shot sporadically.
Anawah said some of the villagers who ran for their dear lives were caught in an ambush laid by the invaders.
He listed some of the victims to include: Mr Orihundu Ati, a retired primary school supervisor and the son of a kindred head.
Also killed was a son to a Chief of Staff to a former Logo council chairman, Tordoo Suswam and a relation of a late District head of Ukemberagya, Zaki John Chembe.
Anawah listed Ukemberagya, Tswarev, Mbawar, Gov, Mbainange, and Tombo among neighbouring communities earlier displaced by the invaders and whose residents were taking refuge in Anyiin before the latest attack.
The community leaders appealed to the federal government and the Benue state government to revive an abandoned Mobile Police barracks project along Akwana-Anyiin-Wukari road to secure the lives and property in the communities.
They lamented that farmers in the affected communities could not harvest their crops because they were being killed and abducted on their farms by the armed invaders.
According to them, communities along the Benue-Taraba border are the worst hit by the marauders’ incessant attacks.”This is the second attack in one month by the Fulani terrorists. On Oct. 9, they attacked Ayilamo town, the headquarters of Tombo Council Ward and killed scores of people. As I speak, people are deserting Anyiin town for fear of the unknown”, Chief Anawah said.
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas yesterday described growing malnutrition and food insecurity as great threat to Nigeria’s economic stability and public health.
Inaugurating the Local Organizing Committee for the National Assembly summit on nutrition and food security in Abuja, the Speaker reiterated the urgent need for legislative action to restore the country’s productivity and public health.
Abbas who was represented by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu noted that Nigeria’s rate of malnutrition is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
He noted that malnutrition, especially among children, stunts physical and cognitive development, impacting long-term educational and economic potential and contributing to broader societal challenges.
The Speaker assured the lawmakers’ full support for the committee’s initiatives, urging collaboration with State Houses of Assembly to create a unified approach to combating food insecurity.
He said, “The need for this National Summit on Nutrition and Food Security has never been more urgent.
“This organizing committee’s mission is to foster collaboration across ministries, engage both public and private sectors, and create a platform for lawmakers, experts, and community leaders to address the root causes of food security challenges.”
The chairman of the committee, Chike Okafor said there is malnutrition across Nigeria, particularly in the north spiking by 51 percent among children.
He described the situation as a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by recent floods in Adamawa, Maiduguri, and Jigawa, which have disrupted food supplies nationwide.
According to him, the summit will help to in the formulation of policies to tackle food insecurity.
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