The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called its first witness at the commencement of its defence in the petition by Atiku Abubakar and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the outcome of the February 25  presidential election

INEC’s lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), who called Dr. Lawrence Bayode, who described himself as an Information Technology (IT) Practitioner at INEC.

Led in evidence by Mahmoud, Bayode, who said he has worked in INEC for 24 years, adopted his written deposition which he made on April 11, which he said the court should accept as his testimony in the case.

Mahmoud also tendered through the witness, a copy of a cloud trail log and an accompanying certificate, in relation to the glitches that occurred in INEC’s system during the election.

Before the witness was invited, Mahmoud tendered, from the Bar, a certified true copy (CTC) of a letter dated July 6, 2022 from the All Progressives Congress (APC) acknowledged by INEC.

Arguments are ongoing on the sequence to be adopted for the cross examination of the witness.