Submit all Documents required in a Subpoena: Tribunal Ordered INEC and Police.
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal,Sitting in Jos, the Plateau state Capital, Mandated The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, State Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police, Plateau state Command, to submit all Documents required from them in a Subpoena submitted to them separately by the Petitioners.
Chairman of the Tribunal,R. A Irele-Ifineli made the order during the commencement of the trial in Jos.
The Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman was represented by Salisu Aliyu,who is a senior system analyst,informed the court that he was directed by the Commission to submit what was sent in the subpoena which includes.
The Certified True Copies of accredited data extracted from our back end server that was transmitted from BVAs .
Secondly,forms EC8As which are polling unit results from INEC Results Viewing centre(IREV).
Aliyu further told the court that they were not able to submit BVAs machines as was required from them due to it bulky nature.
The Representative of the Plateau state resident Electoral Commissioner,
My Name is Festus Aisien.
Am an assistant Director in Voters registry Department of INEC and I was asked to to present some selected Voters registration.
According to him,the subpoena was served to the INEC in Jos but they forwarded the Subpoena to them at the National Headquarters because they don’t have such materials here in Jos.
He said they were able to produces only few hard copies of the results because they and too bulky and the remaining copies are In E-Copy.
In his response,the Lead Counsel to the Petitioners,Prof. Kayode Olatoke said my Lord’s,INEC produced what we did not ask for which is E. Copy and he asked the Tribunal to produce what is requested them to submit, because the opinion of the legal officer cannot overrides the order of Court.
The Tribunal granted the request and ordered INEC to produce all the documents requested by the Petitioners as contain in the subpoena on or before Monday.
The Petitioners tendered the documents from the Bar after the objections by the first second and the third respondents that the items were not listed at the schedules of the Petitioners and the court rule that the Petitioners should tender and the parties should argue at their final written addresses.
The Tribunal finally admitted the items which includes the results of Beptwat ward of Mikang L.G.A and marks as Exhibits A1 to A14.
Sharubu ward of Riyom LGA marked as Exhibits B1 to B4.
Exhibits C1 to C 140 were the data extracted from BVAs .
While forms EC8As extracted from IREV and marked as Exhibits P1 to P65.
After the admissibility of the documents, the Commissioner of Police, Plateau state Command took his turn and was represented by the O.C Legal unit.
He told the court that his name is Okon Umoren ,my Rank is ASP the CP mandated me to come before this honourable Tribunal and tender the results of the election from Jos South,Langtang North,South,Jos North,Shendam,Jos East,Barkin Ladi,Kanam,Mikang,Bassa and Qua’Pan LGAs.
My Lords that’s what we can produce now and we want time to sought for more time and brought more.
Responding,the Counsel to the Petitioners the results from Jos East was not listed in the subpoena but was brought.
The Tribunal mandated the Police to produce all the results listed on the subpoena on or before 3rd of July.
The Petitioners equally filled two schedules of documents and the first was filled on the 3rd of June,2023 while the 2nd was on the 25-6-2023.
The all the respondents objected the 2nd because it was filled out of time.
The court ruled and grant the Petitioners relief to tender the 2nd schedules
The items on the first schedules is the Certified True Copies of Judgements and processes of High court, Tribunals,Court of Appeal and Supreme court.
The court grant an order to all the parties to draw up the exhibits and mark them appropriately and them bring them to the court.
The matter was adjourned to Tuesday,27th of June,2023 for continuation.
