Atiku Vs Buhari: You Are Wrong To Say Result Were Not Transmitted – INEC Technical Officer

At the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, the second witness, Peter Uzioma Obi, on Monday stated that it was wrong to say the results of the presidential election were not transmitted electronically.

Obi took the witness stand for the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar who is challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress.

Obi, who claimed that he functioned as Registration Area Technician at a ward level in Rivers State during the election, noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission trained him and others to transmit the results of the February 23 election.

He stated this while answering questions from INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), under cross-examination.

“You are not supposed to transmit results because you are not a presiding officer”.

In his response, he said, “You are wrong sir. INEC trained us to transmit results. I was not a presiding officer. I was not a polling agent. I was a registration area technician appointed by INEC. I was trained by INEC.”

Fielding questions from Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), he said he was not aware of the guidelines used by the INEC for the presidential election, but added that there was a specific guidelines booklet issued for his roles as a RATECH.

“I was a RATECH in charge of the use of card reader,” he said.

He stated that he was not aware of Olanipekun’s claim that there was no designation in the INEC’s guidelines as Registration Area Technician

He said he operated at the ward level with the Local Government Technician and the State Technician as his superiors.

Obi claimed that he was not stationed at any polling unit but was available at the ones where his attention was needed.

He further stated that he visited seven polling units during the election.

Fielding questions from APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Obi said the lawyer was not entirely correct to say that it was the duty of the Presiding Officer “to do accreditation, verification authentication, and collation at the Poling Units.”

“You are not entirely correct sir, because we were told at the training that the Assistant Polling Officer 1, was in charge of accreditation.”

“I did not serve as APO1 and I did not serve as the Presiding Officer.”

He said he did not act on his own, contrary to Fagbemi’s suggestion.

“I have a letter to show that I was shortlisted.”