IReV is Only Innovation in 2023 Elections, Dino Melaye Tells Tribunal

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Senator Dino Melaye yesterday told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) Results Viewing Portals is the major innovation that differentiated the 2023 general elections from previous elections in the country.

This is as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, yesterday tendered additional video evidence to support claims that INEC assured on electronic transmission of results of the 2023 general elections.

Melaye, who spoke as the second star witness and 22nd witness of candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, told the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, that the IReV was designed to give credibility and validity to the just concluded general elections. “I was part of those who put together the Electoral Act,” he boasted.

Melaye, who is the candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State, admitted that he walked out of the National Collation Centre during the collation of the presidential election results, in protest of the alleged malpractices and manipulation of the process to favour candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Bola Tinubu.

Led in evidence by Atiku’s lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, the Senator claimed that the result which INEC acted upon to declare Tinubu winner of the February 25 presidential election “was wrongly computed by INEC”, adding that, “I didn’t endorse it, because I don’t endorse fraud.”

He also told the court that besides himself, many agents of the PDP in the presidential election did not also sign the results at various levels.

While responding to questions from Tinubu’s lawyer, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, the witness argued that “failure of transmission of what has been recorded is an infringement of the law.”

He pointed out that electronic transmission of results from the polling units unto the IReV is a very important aspect of the election process, arguing that with IReV the election circle cannot be said to have been completed.

“Result is transmitted before you move to the ward collation center,” he explained, adding that what was brought was at variance with what transpired at the states level.

Meanwhile, the video clip containing live speeches of INEC’s Chairman Professor Yakubu Mahmood was tendered by a subpoenaed witness and staff of Daar Communication Ltd, AIT Mrs. Ijeoma Osamo.

The video evidence contained in FlashDrive which was admitted as an exhibit, was also played in the open court showed a live broadcast of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmoud reassuring Nigerians of the commitments of the commission to transmit the election results in real-time.

However, during cross-examination by APC’s lawyer, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, the witness denied knowledge of any press conference by INEC where the commission clarified to Nigerians that the election can no longer be transmitted electronically.

Meanwhile, hearings in both petitions have been adjourned till Monday, June 19.