Tribunal Dismisses PDP’s Star Witness Statement On INEC Server

The Presidential Election Petition tribunal on Wednesday dismissed the testimony the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) star witness, Osita Chidoka on INEC server.

Former Aviation Minister’s testimony was struck out for introducing facts not canvassed in the petition when it was filed.

Chidoka served as the National Collation Officer of the PDP during the 2019 presidential election and testified as a star witness for the petitioner.

The PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar earlier in July presented Chidoka as their 62nd witness.

In its 4th ruling of the day, the Tribunal said the statement was incompetent, having been filed in violation of the provision of the Electoral Act.

Chidoka had testified that an INEC server, where election results were stored existed, based on what he claimed INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu consistently said.

But cross-examined by INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman, he admitted he had never seen the server.

“I have not seen the server but INEC consistently told us of the server and the INEC Chairman at the national collation of results of the election acknowledged the existence of the server.”

Pushed further by Usman, he admitted he was at the national collation centre and that the result was tallied manually.

During the proceedings at the tribunal in July, he even sought to amend his statement. The tribunal rejected the request, following the objection by Buhari’s lawyers.