As court winds up in the presidential election petitions tribunal, The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC had admitted that there was actually a glitch in the electronic transmission of presidential election results I-Rev on Friday 25, 2023. The however submitted that the glitch lasted few four hours and fifty minutes during the uploading of the results
INEC council, Abubakar Mahmoud argued that the fact that INEC deployed BVAS technology was evidence of it's good intention to make the election credible. The counsel said that contrary to the claims by the petitioner, the glitch was in mo way deliberate or any human interference to manipulate election results as the even the petitioners witnessed during cross examination.
On the issues of 25 percent votes winning in FTC, INEC argued that it is illogical and absurd to interpret the constitution to make winning the FTC mandatory since it suggests that voters in FTC have special status over other states.
Finally, the Tinubu's counsel Woke Olanipekun prayed the court to dismiss the petition by Atiku and PDP for failing to prove the claims on non-compliance and corrupt practices describing Atiku's petition as a case meddle some interloper.
Tinubu's counsel also argued that contrary to the claims made by Atiku that there was no electronic collation of result, there was really collation of result, that there was real collation of results electronically.
He cited the authority of the supreme court of the United States in Al Gore and George Bush, and the case of Obasanjo versus Buhari which was decided by the supreme Court of Nigeria in 2004 and prayed the Court to interpret the constitution on the issue off FCT. He also prayed the court to apply the wisdom of Supreme Court in the case of Awolowo versus Shagari and interpret the FCT as a 37th state for the purpose of Presidential election and that going by that interpretation, Tinubu won one quarter of two-thirds of voted in Abuja in 2023 election.
For the APC, the lead counsel Later Fagbemi argued that the word" Fine" in section 137(1D) of the constitution is not synonymous with forfeiture and indictment and also asked the court to ignore the allegation of Tinubu's dual citizenship on ground that as long as a person is a citizen by birth, constitution permit him right to any election of that country. Fagbemi called on the court to also throw out the allegation of forged certificate from Chicago state university on grounds that the petitioner provided any evidence against Tinubu's credentials.
The PDP lead counsel, Chris Uche stressed that the four hours glitch INEC claimed did not affect the national assembly election which took place that same day, and that the said glitch was a deliberate action with intention to manipulate the result in favor of Tinubu and his Party the APC.
On the issue of FCT, the counsel extracted an admission in the address of Tinubu where it was stated that 25percent votes is a mandatory provision of the constitution and urged the court to give probative value to it.
He urged the court to use it's discretion and give a substantial just. To grant their prayers and declare that Tinubu was not even qualified and that Atiku should declared winner of the 2022 Presidential Election or order for a rerun.
Meanwhile, the court has reserved judgement to a later date yet to be announced.
