There was a mild drama at the National
Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Akwa Ibom State when a witness, Mr.
Godwin Afangideh presented a document confirming that Senator Godswill Akpabio
won the Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial election.
Counsel to the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) Mr. Solomon Umoh, SAN had given Afangideh a document presented by
the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to read to the tribunal.
The document was an exhibit
presented by INEC in a petition filed by Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the declaration of Engr Christopher
Ekpenyong (PDP) as the Senator for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
Reading from the document given
to him by Counsel to PDP, the Witness, Mr Afangide said “My Lord even from this
document APC scored a total votes 61,329 and PDP scored 9,050 in Essien Udim
Local Government Area and it is recorded here.”
Mr Afangide had earlier tendered
results collated from Wards across the Local Government Area as given to him by
the party agents which clearly showed that Senator Akpabio had won the election
in his own Local Government Area with a wide margin.
The Witness expressed surprise at
the voters’ register tendered in court and said it was different from the one
that was used on election day. He confirmed that he had voted along with his
family members.
According to Mr Afangide the
elections in Essien Udim Local Government Area were very peaceful as attested
to by security agencies, local and foreign observers.
Two Police Officers, the Area
Commander, Ikot Ekpene Area Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr
Naziru Bello Kankarofi and the Divisional Police Officer, Essien Udim Local
Government, Superintendent of Police, Mr Samuel Isiek, on subpoena tendered
situation reports on the conduct of the National Assembly elections.
The reports were duly admitted as
exhibits despite the initial objections of Counsel to the PDP, Mr Umoh, SAN,
Counsel to the Respondents, Chief Kanu Agabi and Counsel to INEC, MrRobert
Emukpoeruo. They reserved their objections till final addresses.
Another Witness, Dr Chris Akpan
who was a Ward Collation Agent told the Tribunal that the results that were
declared by INEC in Uyo did not reflect collated results from the Units and
Wards of the Local Government Area.
Reacting to suggestions by the
Counsel to INEC that results from the Local Government Area of Senator Akpabio
were cancelled because of violence, the Witnesses expressed surprise and said
they were hearing of violence for the first time in the Tribunal.
Senator Akpabio had so far called
14 Witnesses mostly Ward Agents who have tendered duly collated results.
Results so far tendered showed he had led his opponent with a wide margin
before INEC cancelled the results in Uyo.
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