About 316 Bimodal Voters’ Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were presented and accepted as exhibits during the ongoing sitting of the governorship election petition tribunal on Tuesday in Kaduna….CONTINUE READING
The BVAS machines were admitted as exhibits in response to a subpoena served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requiring them to bring the items before the court. This application was made by the 1st and 2nd petitioners, Isa Ashiru and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through their counsel, Samuel Atung (SAN).
Yusuf Zubairu, representing INEC in court, submitted a written statement on oath before the tribunal’s registrar on July 25, 2023. He brought BVAS machines from 19 Local Government Areas of the state to be presented as evidence. The Commission was called upon to demonstrate how these machines were used to collate election results during the gubernatorial poll held on March 18, 2023, in the State.
Zubairu, an INEC staff from the ICT/Voters’ Research Department, testified that the results on the BVAS machines accurately reflected the votes cast in the State during the election. He emphasized that the machines have unique identity numbers and are tamper-proof, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
During the demonstration, using one of the machines, the witness revealed that at a polling unit in Makera ward, Kaduna South LGA, there were 715 total registered voters, but only 107 voters were accredited for the election.
Before the tribunal granted the application from the 1st and 2nd petitioners’ counsel, Chief Duro Adeyele (SAN), who represented Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, objected to the admissibility of the BVAS machines through the witness. He argued that the witness’s deposition did not include the intention to open and demonstrate the BVAS machines before the tribunal.
In response, Ashiru and PDP’s counsel explained that the Commission was subpoenaed to both tender and demonstrate the machines before the court.
The case was adjourned to Wednesday, July 26, 2023, for the continuation of the hearing….CONTINUE READING
