In 2004, Obi presented 300 witnesses in three years to prove irregularities in Anambra Guber -Liborous Oshoma
Legal practitioner Liborous Oshoma has claimed that Peter Obi required approximately three years and nearly 300 witnesses to validate instances of election irregularities during the 2004 Anambra governorship election. Oshoma conveyed this information during an interview with Arise . He noted that contemporary petitioners are now more inclined to concentrate on technical aspects of the election process due to the recognition of the formidable task of proving election irregularities within a mere 6-month timeframe.
According to Oshoma, the current approach by petitioners is influenced by past legal decisions. He referenced a case in Osun state, where the Supreme Court ruled that presenting documents from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) backend server was insufficient to establish election irregularities. The court stipulated that witnesses or examinations of Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were necessary. However, the time constraints of 6 months make thorough examination of BVAS machines practically impossible. Therefore, petitioners tend to focus on proving irregularities at the polling unit level, but only if it can significantly impact the election outcome.
Continuing his explanation, Oshoma remarked that the instance of Peter Obi in Anambra State illustrates the extensive effort required to substantiate election irregularities. The process took nearly three years and involved the testimony of 300 witnesses. In contrast, modern petitioners face limitations in the number of witnesses they can reasonably present within the restricted time frame. Oshoma cited a case he was involved in within Abia State, where the petitioner presented 29 witnesses in a senatorial district election, yet the court deemed this number inadequate given the approximately 100 polling units in that district.
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