Tribunal: It’s wrong to say results of presidential poll were not transmitted —INEC technical officer


Petitioners’ second witness at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Mr. Peter Uzioma Obi, on Monday, said it was wrong to say the results of the February 23, 2019 presidential election were not transmitted electronically.

Obi took the witness stand at the instance of the Peoples Democratic Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who are by their petition challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress.

Obi, who said he functioned as Registration Area Technician at a ward level in Rivers State during the election, said the Independent National Electoral Commission trained him and others to transmit the results of the poll.

Obi, who earlier adopted his witness statement on oath which he deposed to on April 26, as his evidence-in-chief, said this while fielding questions from INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), under cross-examination.

“You are not supposed to transmit results because you are not a presiding officer,” Usman asked.

Responding, Obi said, “You are wrong sir. INEC trained us to transmit results. I was not a presiding officer. I was not a polling agent. I was a registration area technician appointed by INEC. I was trained by INEC.”

Fielding questions from Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), he said he was not aware of the guidelines used by the INEC for the presidential election, but added that there was a specific guidelines booklet issued for his roles as a RATECH.

“I was a RATECH in charge of the use of card reader,” he said.

He said he was not aware of Olanipekun’s claim that there was no designation in the INEC’s guidelines as Registration Area Technician

He said he operated at the ward level with the Local Government Technician and the State Technician as his superiors.

He added that he was not stationed at any polling unit during the election but visited the ones where his attention was needed. He said he visited seven polling units in the course of the election.

Fielding questions from APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Obi said the lawyer was not entirely correct to say that it was the duty of the Presiding Officer “to do accreditation, verification authentication, and collation at the Poling Units.”

The witness said, “You are not entirely correct sir, because we were told at the training that the Assistant Polling Officer 1, was in charge of accreditation.”

Fielding more questions, he said, “I did not serve as APO1 and I did not serve as the Presiding Officer.”

He said he did not act on his own, contrary to Fagbemi’s suggestion.

“I have a letter to show that I was shortlisted.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/tribunal-its-wrong-to-say-results-of-presidential-poll-were-not-transmitted-inec-technical-officer/amp/

Nice one

Nigeria is getting dere

Why magistrate court? Put the animal before a proper court and not a magistrate that will spoil the case

Only idiots n zombies bliv dat rogue in colarboration with yakubu won 2019 elections

Olanipekun is too sound. He has killed the evidence of this witness without struggle. INEC guidelines didn't recognize registration area technicians simple.

Atiku lawyers are not doing well how will bring somebody that his role is not known to law as a prime witness.

Bethel4Life:
are u too stupeed or wat? So ur tryna tell me the this witness was working for himself and was paying himself?

Your use of words is very uncivilized and lack decorum required in public discussions such as on nairaland. I don't join issue with people acting on emotion rather than fact and law. Guide your utterance next time. Thanks.

muykem:
Olanipekun is too sound. He has killed the evidence of this witness without struggle. INEC guidelines didn't recognize registration area technicians simple.

Thank you.it was an illegal creation.the electoral act regognizes presiding officers and assistant presiding officers not ratech

Bethel4Life:
are u too stupeed or wat? So ur tryna tell me the this witness was working for himself and was paying himself?

He worked for inec quite alright but since he's not recognized by law,he is illegal and his role wont be captured by the court.transmission of results is clearly the job of p.os legally.ratechs are unknown.

garfield1:

Thank you.it was an illegal creation.the electoral act regognizes presiding officers and assistant presiding officers not ratech

So in others word's, the Inec chairman that employed him contrary to the law should be given life in prison.

garfield1:

He worked for inec quite alright but since he's not recognized by law,he is illegal and his role wont be captured by the court.transmission of results is clearly the job of p.os legally.ratechs are unknown.

I think we also need to know what the electoral act says and whose information (combined) the Presiding officers depend on. If RATECH is not recognized by law, then who engaged them, and for what purpose? The whole thing is getting interesting cos it might dig up INEC loop holes.

decub:

I think we also need to know what the electoral act says and whose information (combined) the Presiding officers depend on. If RATECH is not recognized by law, then who engaged them, and for what purpose? The whole thing is getting interesting cos it might dig up INEC loop holes.

Not everything inec does is legal that is why there ale laws

RTSC:

So in others word's, the Inec chairman that employed him contrary to the law should be given life in prison.

No.it is not a criminal offence or an infraction.moreover,tribunals deals with elections not crimes

Okay

Ok

We currently have 2 sets of foolish people in Nigeria....
1).The fools that voted Buhari.
2). The fools currently following BBN 4.
The worst is that these 2 sets of fools outnumber the intelligent ones by faaaaaaaar!!!

N

His name is Peter Ijoma Obi and not Peter "Uzioma" Obi oo

This is the worst INEC we've had since democracy came to Nigeria.

P

May the better liar win.

Haba INEC!! Which one we go believe nah?

Inec is disgracing this country.

Bethel4Life:
are u too stupeed or wat? So ur tryna tell me the this witness was working for himself and was paying himself?

One of the problem we have are many people who know the truth but deny it and cannot stand for it.

So INEC guidelines do not recognize something called a RATECH, this man was not assigned to a specific station, he did not use the card reader to electronically submit results, and he's not aware of INEC's guidelines regarding using electronic voting during the election...

....so how exactly is he a witness again?

The best the opposition can hope for is a rerun...or at least an exposure of irregularites....