Melaye emphasized that the result declared by INEC was incorrect. However, he admitted that he had not included the alternative and accurate outcome of the election in his witness statement.
By Johnson Atoukudu:
Updated: 9:00pm
The Presidential Election Petition Court witnessed the presentation of Senator Dino Melaye as the 22nd witness by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), along with his political party, on Friday. Senator Melaye, a former Kogi West Senator and the PDP’s National Collation Officer during the February 25 Presidential Election, was considered a special witness.
During the proceedings, Abubakar Mahmoud, the lawyer representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), referred to Melaye as a popular and entertaining figure in Nigeria. However, Melaye clarified that he was a politician and not an entertainer.
Melaye informed the court that not all PDP agents had signed the election result sheets, stating that it was done as a form of protest. He further claimed that the results provided by the state returning officers differed from what had actually transpired in the states.
When questioned by the INEC’s lawyer about the similarity between Melaye’s witness statement and those of other witnesses, Melaye requested to see a copy of such a statement. However, the INEC lawyer failed to provide one.
The INEC lawyer concluded his cross-examination by mentioning that Melaye had left the National Collation Centre during the announcement of results and therefore did not witness the completion of the process. Melaye responded by stating that he had left in protest against the “fraudulent activity” taking place.
During the cross-examination by Akin Olujimi, the lawyer representing Tinubu, Melaye was asked whether the failure to transmit results to the IReV portal would affect the recorded result on Form EC8A. After some hesitation and with the intervention of the Court, Melaye replied, “No.”
Melaye emphasized that the result declared by INEC was incorrect. However, he admitted that he had not included the alternative and accurate outcome of the election in his witness statement.
He highlighted the inconsistencies and cancellations in the results uploaded to the IReV portal, which he believed were the reasons why agents refused to sign the result sheets. According to Melaye, the electronic transmission of results is what validates the Electoral Act of 2022 and is meant to transform the country’s electoral process.
During the cross-examination by Afolabi Fashanu, the lawyer for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Melaye confirmed that his written statement on oath clearly stated the number of votes erroneously allocated to President Bola Tinubu. However, he mentioned that the votes deducted in favor of the APC presidential candidate were noted in words and not figures.
When asked why he had not mentioned “live feeds” in his witness statement, Melaye stated that he possessed certification in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and that all videos are considered live depending on when they are played.
