From Yakubu Busari,Jos
Former Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State on Monday subpoenaed Independent National Electoral Commission ,(INEC), to tender form EC81 ,BVAS ,IREV in evidence to challenged the Plateau South Senatorial district results conducted on 18th day of March ,2023 .
The National Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Jos Division of Plateau State was hearing a suit No, EPT/PL/SEN/02/2023 between Lalong ,and his All Progressives Congress, APC, challenging the victory of AVM Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, . They included the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) as the 1st respondent.
The Counsel to the petitioners ,Edward G.Pwajok, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, told the tribunal that they have subpoena INEC to produced some vital documents to help them in their case .
However, Mallam Salisu Aliyu of ICT department at INEC headquarters in Abuja tendered to the tribunal copies of downloaded INEC ,IREV and data extracted from the BVAS from the accreditation of voters machines .
The four items sought to tender include five copies of form EC8A1 and one information extracted from Plateau South senatorial election .
The other documents tendered were voters registration department and PVCs presented by Festus Aicien as they all handed over the documents to tribunal .
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tukur Mohammed admitted the documents and marked them as exhibits.
The judge adjourned the case to 13th ,14th and 15th of July, 2023 for continuation of witnesses’s testimony.
Counsel for the first 1st respondent, which is INEC, is Barr. Fasibu Ibraheem and the for the 2nd and 3rd respondent J.N. Okafor .
