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...to open defence July 18
The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Enugu, Chijioke Edoga, on Sunday, closed his case against the victory of Governor Peter Mbah in the March 18 election before the election tribunal sitting in the state.
Mr Edeoga closed his case after calling 30 witnesses and one witness subpoena from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Victor Okafor, to prove their allegations.
The governorship election petition tribunal is hearing the petition filed by Mr Edeoga against the election of Mr Mbah of the PDP as the governor.
Mr Edeoga is praying the tribunal disqualifies Mr Mbah over an alleged NYSC certificate forgery and manipulation of election results.
When the matter came up for hearing, the INEC subpoena witness, Mr Okafor, told the tribunal that his commission provided five Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were provided in the subpoena list.
The LP counsel, Eyitayo Fatogun (SAN), tendered the five BVAS machines to the tribunal as the PDP counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu and Mr Mbah’s counsel, Alex Izinyon, objected to the tendering of the machines.
The counsels said their reasons would be known during their final addresses.
The tribunal, however, admitted the BVAS machines as evidence.
During cross-examination by Mr Fatogun, the subpoenaed witness said that the information generated on the BVAS machines during the governorship election was now contained in the BVAS report from the headquarters in Abuja.
He said he did not have the BVAS machines for the Owo and Ugbawka registration areas of Nkanu East Local Government Area, adding that the machines could only be identified by their codes.
According to him, the codes of the five BVAS machines brought include 14/08/06/003, 14/08/01/002, 14/08/06/005, 14/08/17/012, 14/08/01/003,
“All the machines contained the BVAS and accessories,” he said.
He said he could not operate the BVAS machines beyond the information he earlier gave concerning them because they (machines) had not been used since after the election.
Responding to Mr Izinyon, the counsel to Mr Mbah, the subpoenaed witness said the machine could contain only successfully uploaded accredited information.
The two last witnesses called by the LP, Godwin Abba and Amos Onyebuchi, who were LP agents from Ette Central and Ikwele Ugbele, respectively, both from Igbo-Etiti North LGA, said there was over-voting at their polling units during the governorship election.
Upon closing the petitioner’s case, the lead counsel to the petitioner, Valerie Azinge, commended the tribunal for their patience as she closed the case.
The INEC counsel, H. Okoli, applied for a date to open their defence.
Justice M. K Akano, the tribunal chairman, adjourned the matter till July 18 for INEC to open its defence.
(NAN)
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