Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Despite stiff opposition by the legal teams of President Bola Tinubu, and his All Progressives Congress, APC; and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; the Presidential Election Petitions Court, siting in Abuja, Thursday, admitted as exhibits, the results of the presidential poll from six states and 115 Local Government Areas tendered in evidence by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and his party.
Some of the states that Obi tender certified copies of the presidential poll results were Rivers, Benue, Cross River, Niger, Osun and Ekiti.
The tendered results were obtained from 115 Local Government Areas of the affected states.
Justice Haruna Tsammani-led’s five-member panel admitted the Rivers State results and marked them as Exhibits PD 1 to PD 15.
Obi had tendered results from 15 out of 22 LGAs in the state, as well as 23 LGAs in Benue state, which were also admitted in evidence and marked as Exhibits PC 1 to PC 23.
Results from 18 LGAs in Cross River State were also admitted in evidence as Exhibits PD1 – PD 18.
Obi tendered Forms EC8A from 23 LGAs in Niger and they were admitted in evidence as Exhibits PE-1 to PE 23.
Similarly, the LP candidate and his party also tendered certified copies of results from 20 LGAs in Osun State which were marked as Exhibits PF 1 – PF 20.
All the results including those from the 16 Councils in Ekiti State tendered by Obi and LP, were all admitted in evidence by the Court.
A member of Obi’s legal team, Chief Emeka Okpoko, SAN, tendered the exhibits.
Both Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Ahmed-Datti were physically present at the court to witness the proceedings.
The court adjourned till tomorrow, Friday, June 2, 2023.
