AKWA IBOM GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION PERTITION TRIBUNAL OPENS IN UYO......... PDP ACCUSES NSIMA EKERE OF INPORTING 50 BUSES LOADED WITH THUGS TO DISRUPT ELECTION
AKWA IBOM GOVERNORSHIP
ELECTION PERTITION TRIBUNAL OPENS IN UYO.........
PDP ACCUSES NSIMA EKERE OF INPORTING 50 BUSES
LOADED WITH THUGS TO DISRUPT ELECTION
Donald Sylva
Bar. Emmanuel Moses Enoidem |
The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bar.
Emmanuel Enoidem says elections were cancelled in some polling units and wards
in Etim Ekpo local government because materials were hijacked by armed thugs.
He also said that the thugs who were brought from Edo state in 50 buses
were arrested by the police and they confessed that they were paid by APC and
Mr Nsima Ekere to come and cause instability in PDP strongholds in the state.
Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, the National Legal Adviser of the Peoples
Democratic Party and the state Collation Agent of the party in the state for
the Presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the Governorship
and State House Assembly Elections, held on March 9, 2019 stated this while
testifying as the first witness of the 1st Respondent, Mr. Udom Emmanuel as he
opened his case at the Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Uyo.
Enoidem, under cross examination by Prof. Ernest Ojukwu,SAN admitted
that he voted in his Llocal Government, and that elections in units in three wards
were cancelled due to thuggery.
The former Commissioner in the state executive Council lamented that
hijacked materials and INEC officials were taken to Chief Godswill Akpabio's
house in Essien Udim for massive electoral fraud, hence most cancellations by
the electoral commission.
Earlier while being led in testimony by Chief Assam Assam, SAN Enoidem
tendered all Unit Results (Form EC8A) and Local Government Results (Form EC8B),
Form EC8C, Form EC8D and Form EC8E including the CTC of the receipt of payment
to INEC in application for the forms tendered.
Under Examination by Uko Udom SAN, appearing for the 2nd Respondent,
PDP, the witness affirmed his evidence in chief and stated the role he played
as the state Collation Agent of the PDP.
Answering questions from the 3rd Respondent, INEC Counsel, Sylva Ogwemoh
SAN, the witness affirmed that he was at the INEC office at the state and
participated in the process of the collation of results from all the Local
Government Areas in the state.
He stated that he took part in the collation exercise in concert with
over fifty other political party agents, including Ambassador Sam Akpan who was
the state Collation Agent of the APC in the state.
The court room however experienced a mixture of excitement and disquiet
when the Petitioner's Lawyer, Ernest Ojukwu, SAN attempted to force the witness
to respond to questions on documents he neither made nor tendered.
Efforts made by Ojukwu, SAN to cross examine the witness on voter
registers met the stiff opposition of Assam Assam, SAN who objected to
such questions being put to the witness.
The Tribunal Panel Chairman, Justice A. M. Yakubu, upheld the argument
of Assam Assam , SAN and held that, "the witness could not be cross
examined on documents neither made nor tendered by him".
The case was consequently adjourned to August 1, 2019 for the
continuation of hearings.
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