The Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned to Thursday for lawyers representing the Independent National Electoral Commission, President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, to cross-examine a statistician and forensic examiner, Samuel Oduntan, who was presented by the Peoples Democratic Party to dispute the outcome of the poll.
At the resumption of sitting on Wednesday, PDP counsel, Eyitayo Jegede SAN, told the court that he had consulted with the respondents to shift the cross-examination of his subpoenaed witness (the statistician) to Thursday, apparently so that lawyers to parties can study his report.
Mr Samuel Oduntan, when called forward, said he engaged in the inspection and statistical analysis of election forms used at the just concluded polls.
The witness asked the court to adopt his statement on oath as well as his report and appendixes.
But that was objected to by lawyers representing INEC, President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.
“Ruling is reserved till the day of final judgment,” the panel said while admitting the documents tendered by the statistician as Atiku’s evidence.
Based on Atiku’s lawyer’s request, the petition was further adjourned by the PEPC to Thursday for cross examination of PW21 (statistician) and for hearing.
The five-man panel of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani also directed the PDP to provide soft copies of the statistician’s report to the respondents and to the court.
Recall that Dr Alex Adum Ter, who served as National Coordinator of the PDP Situation room during the 2023 election, had told the PEPC on Wednesday that based on reports from statisticians engaged by the party, the 2023 presidential election was allegedly rigged.
THE WHISTLER gathered from several reports that this statistician once testified at the Osun State Election Tribunal on the behalf of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Adeleke’s election had been nullified by the Tribunal but was subsequently restored by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.