Conflicting testimonies by LP witnesses | 47 boxes of evidence — highlights of Thursday’s tribunal session

At the presidential election tribunal on Thursday, two witnesses of the Labour Party (LP) contradicted themselves on the requirements for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy technological applications.

These are the highlights of the proceedings.

WITNESSES GIVE CONTRADICTING TESTIMONIES

Chibuike Ugwuoke, a cyber security expert, on Wednesday, presented metadata which he claimed to have extracted from the INEC result viewing portal (IReV).

Under cross-examination on Thursday by Abubakar Mahmoud, INEC’s lawyer, Ugwuoke said the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act stipulates that all technologies used by INEC must adhere to the ISO 27001 2013 standard.

However, Emmanuel Edet, another LP witness who is the head of legal services at NITDA, said such requirements do not exist under the NITDA Act.

“The NITDA Act does not contain any cyber security standard code – ISO 27001 2013,” Edet said.

The witness also said no provision in the act makes reference to INEC.

OVER 47 BOXES OF EVIDENCE BROUGHT TO COURT

Several boxes filled with documents were brought before the presidential election petition court by the LP.

The transparent plastic boxes, about 47 in number, were labelled with the names of states.

Due to time constraints, the petitioners could not tender the content of the boxes in evidence.

‘INEC DELIBERATELY WIPED OUT RESULTS FROM BVAS’

Hitler Nwala, a digital forensic analyst and the 26th witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accused INEC of intentionally deleting the results of the presidential poll in BVAS devices.

Commissioned by the petitioners, Nwala said he inspected 110 BVAS devices used during the presidential poll in the FCT.

He alleged that all the machines he inspected had their data deliberately removed.

Nwala said it was unnecessary to delete the FCT presidential poll result data since the governorship election does not hold in the FCT. 

However, the INEC counsel said 110 BVAS devices examined by the witness are not a sufficient sample size to establish the allegations against the commission.

The PDP also tendered certified true copies of polling unit results(form EC8A) from Ogun (20 LGAs), Ondo (17 LGAs), Jigawa (27 LGAs) and Rivers (20 LGAs).

TRIBUNAL ADJOURNS

Further hearing in the petitions by the LP and PDP is expected to continue on Friday.

While the PDP said it would tender more documentary evidence at the resumed session, LP’s session is expected to begin with the cross-examination of Tanko Yunusa, the party’s 12th witness.

Both parties are expected to close their cases on Friday.