Tinubu kicks as INEC tenders his biodata form, BVAS report for 36 states, FCT

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has tendered documents before the Presidential Election Petition Court in respect of the petition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Morenikeji Tairu, Deputy Director, Certification and Complaints, Legal Drafting and Clearance Department, tendered them.

Tairu, who did this on behalf of Yakubu on Thursday, tendered among others Form EC9 of President Bola Tinubu, who is the second respondent in the petition.

The News Agency of Nigeria, reports that Form EC9 is an affidavit in support of particulars of persons seeking election to the office of president and vice-president.

The court had issued a subpoena on Yakubu in respect of certain documents relating to the conduct of the February 25 presidential election following an application by Abubakar.

Counsel to the petitioners, Chris Uche (SAN), said that the petitioners in the application of May 26, 2023 listed 11 items for Yakubu to bring before the court.

Tairu, however, told the court that only four items requested by the petitioners were available.

She said that the items available were Form EC8D series (results from states), EC8DA (final declaration of results) andCertified True Copies of Rivers Bi-modal Verification Accreditation System report.

Others were the BVAS report from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and the Form EC9 of Tinubu (personal information supplied by Tinubu to INEC in aid of his qualification for the presidential election).

INEC’s Lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN); counsel to Tinubu, Wole Olanipekin (SAN); and that of the All Progressives Congress all objected to the admissibility of the documents in evidence.

Uche, while responding to INEC’s position that the certified documents had not been paid for, reiterated that his clients had so far paid the sum of N6.7 million to INEC for certification.

He added that the documents brought before the court were court subpoenaed documents.

Abubakar and the PDP are before the PEPC challenging the process and the outcome of the February 25 presidential election, which produced Tinubu as president.

They are also contending that the election was conducted in violation of the electoral laws.

The petitioners are also insisting that President Tinubu was not qualified to contest the poll on the grounds of alleged double nomination and dual citizenship.
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