…By Larry John for TDPel Media.
In the ongoing dispute over the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, presented his witness before the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Abubakar and the PDP are contesting the victory of President Bola Tinubu from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Retired Capt. Joe Agada, who served as the State Collation Agent of the PDP in Kogi State for the general election, appeared as Abubakar’s first witness.
Agada claimed that he was compelled to sign the presidential election result by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the officials refused to provide him with a copy of the results unless he signed the document.
Under the guidance of Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, the witness asserted that the presidential election result in Kogi State was manipulated.
Agada provided detailed accounts of witnessing the tampering of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in over 20 polling units he visited.
Addressing the court, Agada stated, “My lords, I am a witness of truth.
I did not visit all the polling units, but I was present when BVAS in over 20 PUs were being manipulated across the two Senatorial Districts that I visited.”
During cross-examination by INEC’s counsel, Mr Abdullahi Aliyu, the witness claimed that PDP agents were pressured into signing the result forms.
He confirmed that PDP agents signed Forms EC8A, EC8B, and EC8C but were forced to do so, particularly in Kogi State, as INEC refused to provide copies of the results unless they signed.
When questioned by one of President Tinubu’s lawyers, Chief Akin Olujinmi, Agada admitted that as the State Collation Agent for the PDP, he was coerced into signing the state collection result.
He explained to the court, “I was forced to sign the state collection result because without signing, they said they would deny me a copy to take to my party.”