Tribunal: I was shocked by results from areas under herdsmen attack – Witness

ABUJA—A Ward Collation Agent, Aliyu Abdullahi, on Wednesday, told the presidential election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja that he was shocked when he heard results the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released in two Wards in Nasarawa State where voters ran away owing to attacks by herdsmen.INEC, Vice Chancellors, Nigeria News, INEC

Abdullahi who appeared as the 52nd witness in the petition the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar lodged to challenge the outcome of the February 23 presidential election, said he was surprised when he heard during live broadcast of the presidential election, that “area where people were displaced due to communal clashes between Tiv people and Fulani herdsmen, produced results”.

According to him, “because of the clashes,  people had to run away from the area”.

Under cross-examination, the witness told the tribunal that though the area was deserted, INEC retained two polling units in it.

He said as the Ward Collation Agent for the PDP during the presidential election, “I did not collect the result.  I refused to sign it”.

He told the tribunal that other PDP agents that were posted to the two affected polling units are still alive.

Earlier in his own testimony, another Ward Collation agent from Karu Ward also in Nasarawa State, Dangana Barde, insisted that Atiku defeated President Buhari.

He told the tribunal that Atiku polled a total of 22, 580 votes, Buhari got 9,407 votes from the Ward he said had 13 polling units.

Barde who testified as the PW-53, said he was surprised that INEC later cancelled the result at the Local Government Collation Center, without adducing any reason.

“The result was taken to the LG Collation Center and handed to the LG Collation Agent.

“After the submission we were asked to go out of the Collation Center. I was shocked to hear later that APC won”.

Under cross-examination, he admitted that Karu had over 100 polling units.

The witness further acknowledged that results of the presidential election were announced State-by-State during the live broadcast and not Ward-by-Ward.

He said it was his LG collation agent that informed him that results from his Ward were cancelled.

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