Before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja on Monday, Mr. Ibrahim Hamza, the 10th Petitioners’ Witness, revealed that he was coerced into signing the presidential election results in Nasarawa state. Hamza, who served as a state collation agent for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed that officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to provide him with a copy of the election result unless he signed it.
Hamza’s testimony before Justice Haruna Tsammani and the five-member panel shed light on the alleged irregularities surrounding the presidential election held on February 25. According to Hamza, he and other party agents signed the result under duress after facing threats from INEC officials. The witness expressed concern that the published result presented in court was mutilated, insisting that he had signed a clean copy.
Highlighting the magnitude of the situation, Hamza revealed that there were 3,256 polling units in Nasarawa state, and the PDP had agents stationed in all units and wards. He further disclosed that during the result upload process, INEC’s system encountered failures, leading to further doubts about the integrity of the electoral process.
The proceedings also featured the Chairman of the PDP in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Mohammed Madaki, who testified that, based on the purported election results published by INEC, the party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, failed to secure the constitutionally mandated 25% of votes from the FCT. This revelation raised questions about Atiku’s eligibility to be declared the winner of the presidential election.
Allegations of electoral malpractice were a central theme, with witnesses recounting instances of violence and disrupted result uploads. Dr. Abiye Sekibo, a former Minister of Transportation and PDP chieftain in Rivers state, testified as the seventh witness. Sekibo presented a letter of appointment as the party’s Coordinator for the Presidential Election, asserting that Atiku had won the presidential election in Rivers state despite alleged instigation of violence by President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The testimonies of Hamza and other witnesses underscored the significance of ensuring transparency, integrity, and adherence to constitutional requirements in the electoral process. As the court adjourned further hearings until Tuesday, the revelations from the witnesses set the stage for a critical examination of the presidential election results and the validity of Atiku’s claim as the winner.
Note: The rephrased report highlights the key points from the original text while maintaining a professional and informative tone suitable for a news report.
