I’ve no Amazon’s mandate representing Obi, LP’s witness tells PEPC

• denies being Labour Party activist

The 7th witness, Mpeh Clarita Ogar, in the petition filed by the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi and his party against Tinubu’s election on Tuesday told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that she was not in court on the mandate of the Amazon Web Services Incorporated, where she works as a cloud engineer and architect.

The witness, who was led in evidence by the counsel to the petitioners, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto (SAN) on Monday, told the court, under cross-examination by counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) that the subpoena in respect of the petition was served personally on her and not through her employer.

According to the witness, “The Subpoena was not delivered to Amazon, but delivered to me. Am here as an expert witness, am not here on the mandate of Amazon and, it is not true that am here as a Labour Party activist”.

In response to a question by counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Clarita Ogar insisted that there were no technical glitches on February 25, 2023, when the Presidential election was held.

Also at the proceedings on Tuesday, the chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood responded to the subpoena served on him on May 30 and that of June 13, 2023, by producing some documents through two senior officials of the Commission.

The Deputy Director, Department of Certification and Complaints of INEC, Mrs Moronkeji Tairu tendered the documents contained in the subpoena dated May 30 issued on the INEC chairman.

She said, some of the documents required by the petitioners are not in the Commission and that some of the documents come from INEC’s offices across the states and that because of lack of logistics, those documents could not be produced as of Tuesday and added that, the Subpoena dated May 30 was served on the Commission on Monday.

While assuring that the rest documents would be made available within the week, the INEC official presented documents on INEC’s manual for election officers.

Lead counsel to the petitioners, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) informed the court that INEC refused service of the Subpoena all the while and all efforts to serve the Commission proved abortive until Monday.

The Deputy Director, ICT department of INEC, Dr. Lawrence Bayode also presented some documents contained in the June 16 subpoena issued on the INEC Chairman and informed the court that the rest of the documents are work in progress.

The five-member panel of Justices of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned further hearing in the petition till Wednesday, June 21.

Credit: Nigerian Tribune