Tribunal: Akpabio Bombshells INEC, PDP In Witness Box … As Anietie Ekong’s Video Contradicts INEC’s Claims

By UbongAbasi Ise

Senator Godswill Akpabio was in the witness box yesterday at the ongoing national assembly election tribunal to challenge the declaration of Senator Chris Ekpenyong as the winner of February 23 senatorial election of Akwa Ibom Northwest (Ikot Ekpene) district.

The former senate minority leader was apparently alarmed when page 18 of 162 of the voters register of his polling unit marked as Exhibit R170 was shown to him, which indicated that Senator Akpabio was not accredited to vote as the box by his name on the register was not ticked by the ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Akpabio told the tribunal that the voters register shown to him at the witness box was different from the one used at his polling unit at Independence High School in Ukana, describing the register at the tribunal as provocative.

He said he could recall that his wife, Mrs. Uloma Akpabio, and other members of his family were duly accredited, after which they voted in a peaceful atmosphere, contrary to INEC’s claims.

He said there was accreditation in all the 159 polling units in Essien Udim local government with no issue of cancellation as shown in INEC’s polling unit results (EC 8A series).

When INEC’s counsel, Barr. Robert Emukpoeruo put the result sheet of Essien Udim local government area marked as Exhibit P534 to Senator Godswill Akpabio to confirm the final result, the former governor  explained that 105,555 are seen as the total number of voters in Essien Udim, while 72,572 was accredited to vote, out of which he polled 61,329 for his party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, to emerge victorious.

According to Akpabio, unlike 105,555 that was typed on the sheet, the ‘new’ INEC’s number of accredited voters, which was 9,964 on the document, was handwritten  at the row meant for ward 18 out of 22, explaining that his local government area has 11 wards and not 22 or 18.

He slammed INEC for multiple cancellations and mutilations on the result sheets. In his words, “My Lord, if you see the cancellation done on the result sheet, you will call for the arrest of INEC chairman.”

He expressed concern about the manner INEC conducted the 2019 elections which ended him up at the tribunal.

 “This is not about Godswill Akpabio, it is about the future of Nigeria.

“My votes, 61,329 were not what were announced by INEC. This is why I am in the tribunal,” said the former senate minority leader.

Contrary to the claims made by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that there was no accreditation at Senator Godswill Akpabio's ward, Ukana West (II) in Essien Udim local government area, which implies that the former Senate minority leader was not accredited,  a video tendered by a subpoenaed witness showed that Senator Akpabio was actually accredited to vote at his polling unit during February 23 senatorial election, and there was no trace of violence as claimed by INEC.

Mr. Anietie ekong, a media aide to Senator Akpabio, who was subpoenaed to appear before the tribunal, presented a video evidence with its certificate of compliance that showed it was produced on 23rd February, 2019, the day of the election.

While playing the video before the tribunal, a footage of Senator Godswill Akpabio was shown approaching the polling unit at Independence High School in Ukana in company of his wife and the commissioner of police, CP Olatunji, while  acknowledging cheers from his kinsmen.

The video showed the Essien Udim-born politician undergoing accreditation and voting processes in apparent peaceful atmosphere.

Mr. Ekong said the video was five hours long in duration, but it was compressed to seven minutes to save the tribunal’s time.

The media practitioner said the video was produced by way of Facebook livestreaming, after which he downloaded to his laptop.

Meanwhile, the APC collation agent for Ikot Ekpene senatorial district in the election, Barr. Ibanga Akpabio, while testifying before the tribunal on Wednesday, said there was no cancellation of result in any of the 1,124 polling units as well as 507 voting points in the senatorial district, maintaining that this has clearly reflected in the results of all the 108 wards in the district.

©The Sensor Newspaper

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