The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told the presidential election petitions tribunal that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate,<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">&nbsp;Atiku Abubakar&nbsp;</strong>did not score the majority of lawful votes in the February 23 election. &nbsp;</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In a written address filed by its lead counsel,&nbsp;<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Yunus Ustaz Usman</strong>&nbsp;(SAN), INEC said PDP and Atiku could not prove allegations of wrong entry of results in 11 states of Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara States. &nbsp;</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">INEC argued that the burden of proof which was on the petitioners was not successfully discharged, adding that they failed to establish that the election of February 23 was invalidated by corrupt practices and non-qualification against President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).</p> <blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 20px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-size: 14.5px; border-left: 5px solid #eeeeee; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">&ldquo;Furthermore, by virtue of section 150(1) of the Evidence Act, the results declared by the first respondent enjoy a presumption of regularity. Accordingly, the petitioners herein are duty-bound to rebut this presumption with credible evidence,&rdquo; INEC said.</p> </blockquote>