News Obiaks News

A witness to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mr. Abana Koku and the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday told the tribunal that voters were not accredited before they were allowed to vote at Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State during the February 23, 2019 poll.
        Koku, who is the 38th witness called by the petitioners was the collation agent for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in Chibok Local Government Area, during the election. While in the witness box, he alleged widespread incidents of over-voting, lack of accreditation of voters with smart card reader machines, inaccurate ballot paper accounting, and unlawful cancellation of votes in PDP’s strongholds. Koku told the five-man tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba under cross-examination by counsel for the respondents’ that voters during the election were not accredited. Asked if he was identified through any means before he was allowed to vote, Koku said: “Nobody identified anybody, people were just handed ballot papers and allowed to vote. He said the 95 polling units in the 11 wards in Chibok Local Government Area, were located in the Chibok Central Primary School, Chibok, because of the security situation in the area. Koku further said he saw 80 per cent of the polling unit result sheets before coming to the conclusion that there were widespread instances of over-voting in the area. But he said he could not recall the total number of registered voters in the LGA. He also said he could not remember the exact number of accredited voters and the total number of votes cast. He also said he did not sign the Form EC8C, the result sheet for the local government.