A social critic and legal practitioner, Inibehe Effiong, has urged Nigerians not to panic over the objections to the admissibility of documents by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the ongoing hearings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Effiong believes that the documents would be admitted by the tribunal, despite INEC’s objections, because they are public documents that have been duly certified. He also noted that INEC’s neutrality in the tribunal is a mirage, as the commission has aligned its defence strategy with the other Respondents.
On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and INEC objected to some documents sought to be tendered in evidence by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. Some of the documents tendered in evidence were certified true copies of Form EC8A downloaded by INEC from its Result Viewing Portal (IREV). However, counsel to INEC objected to the admissibility of all documents relating to Kogi, except for those of five local government areas, namely, Olamaboro, Ofu, Omala, Okehi and Ajaokuta. He also objected to the admissibility of documents relating to the BVAS, except for Kogi, Rivers and Sokoto states.
Effiong believes that the objections by INEC should not be a cause for alarm, as the tribunal would look into the documents and act on them, as long as they have been duly certified. He also noted that the objections by INEC were a mere distraction, and the other Respondents have aligned their defence strategy with that of INEC.
