Eric Uwadiegwu Ofoedu, the fourth witness of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, Mr. Peter Obi, Thursday, told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja that he discovered a total of 18,088 blurred result sheets uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The witness, a Professor of Mathematics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra state, told the court that he carried out an investigation and data analysis of the 2023 Presidential Election results on the IReV portal.
Led in evidence at Thursday’s proceedings by Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Ofoedu also told the court that he conducted an analysis of results from Rivers and Benue states respectively and a report on his findings.
When the witness was presented before the court, counsel for INEC, A. B. Mahmood (SAN) told the court that he was served the statement in court and was handicapped on how to go about the proceedings.
He asked to court to the Petitioners to step down the witness and grant them time to look at the documents filed and prepare for cross-examination.
Lead Counsel for Tinubu and Shetimma, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi representing the All Progressives Congress (APC) aligned themselves with the submissions of Mahmood but suggested that the witness should adopt his evidence, while they cross-examine him later.
Dr. Ikpeazu (SAN) apologised for serving the respondents late but told the court that they just obtained the subpoena yesterday.
He requested that the witness be allowed to take adopt his evidence in chief while the court determines whether or not cross-examination will be done later.
The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led panel granted the request by the LP and deferred cross-examination till Friday.
Ikpeazu informed the court about a letter of request written to the witness by the LP, on February 20, asking him to carryout data analysis for the presidential election, as well as the subpoena served on the witness.
The Senior Lawyer tendered all the documents as evidence in the petition before the court.
Counsels for INEC and Tinubu/Shetimma objected to the admissibility of the letter but did not object to the subpoena, however, counsel for the APC objected to the subpoena but not the letter.
Led in evidence by Patrick Ikweto (SAN), Edeveie presented a flash drive containing a video before the court; tendered the flash and applied that it be played in court.
The application was granted by the court and the video was played on screen for everyone to watch.
The video contained the speech by the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu at the Chatham House where he spoke about the elections, giving assurances on the potency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the IReV portals ahead of the general elections.
After admitting the flash as evidence, Justice Tsammani adjourned till June 16 for further hearing.