Accreditation successful but results uploads failed - PDP witness tells court

As hearing of petitions against the victory of President Bola Tinubu continued at the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPT) in Abuja, a witness presented by the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has said that results couldn't be uploaded on the day of the poll.

The witness, who identified herself as Grace Ajagponna, is a resident of Kogi State and a former National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.

At the resumption of the hearing on Friday, June 9, 2023, Ajagpona mounted the witness box where she gave an account of events that happened at her duty post where she was deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as polling unit election officer in the February 25 exercise.

Under cross-examination by the counsel to INEC, the witness confirmed that accreditation, voting, and signing of results by her and party agents went without any hindrances.

However, she said uploading results to the INEC results viewing portal became impossible, Channels Television reports.

Another witness, one Abidemi Abidemi, presented by the PDP on Friday, said she was an INEC ad hoc staff member in the election.

Abidemi, a resident of Suleja Niger State, told the court that everything went smoothly at her polling units during the elections, adding that she personally entered the scores on Forms ECA8 which were duly signed by party agents.

Under cross-examination, the witness also said it was part of her training that unless a party agent signed, they should not be given duplicate copies of the Forms ECA8.

The Atiku legal team was led by Chris Uche (SAN), while Akin Olumuji (SAN) led the Bola Tinubu/All Progressives Congresses' legal team.