Atiku, PDP close case after calling 62 witnesses

Chidi Samuel

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday closed their case at the presidential election petitions tribunal after calling 62 witnesses.

Chris Uche, counsel to the petitioners, made the application at the tribunal on Friday.

The witnesses who testified on Friday for Atiku and the PDP are, Osita Chidoka, PDP agent at the national collation centre and information/ communications technology (ICT) expert.

Although Chidoka claimed in his written statement, that results were transmitted electronically, he could not, under cross-examination, sustain that claim.

The former aviation minister could not provide the address of the said server and information about its location, but said he got information that results were transmitted to it form a whistle-blower.

At the end of Chidoka’s cross-examination by the respondents, Atiku’s leading counsel, Chris Uche made the application to close their case.

He said, “Having called witnesses, and having tendered documents, we must humbly apply to close the case of the petitioners.”

Earlier, another witness for the petitioners, David Ayu Nyango Njoga who claimed to be an ICT expert from Kenya, said he was engaged to analyse data allegedly stored in INEC serve by an anonymous INEC official, who acted as a whistle-blower.

Njoga, whose report of analysis was tendered before the tribunal, under cross-examination by Lateef Fagbemi, lawyer to APC, informed the court that with scientific knowledge, one can access any server without authorisation and alter data stored in it.

When asked to interpret some encrypted information in the report he submitted, Njoga said he will require the authority INEC, owners of the server to do that.

On whether he obtained INEC authorisation before he did his first analyses, he answered in the negative, stating that he used his scientific knowledge and skill.

The five-man panel of judges led by Mohammed Garba granted the application and adjourned the matter till July 29.

Garba asked the respondents, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to open their defence on the next adjourned date.

Garba said, “Proceedings now adjourned to 29th July for the respondents to open their defence.”