Akpabio Vs Ekpenyong: INEC's Staff In Shame As Employer’s Evidence Contradicts His Testimonies
By UbongAbasi Ise
Today was a day to forget for Mr.
Amba Anso Amba, an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, whose claims in the witness box were at variance with the evidence provided
by INEC at the national assembly tribunal sitting in Uyo.
Amba was said to have been on
duty for INEC on February 23rd April, 2019 during national assembly
election at Ekpenyong (1) ward in Essien Udim local government area.
Appearing as subpoenaed witness
before the tribunal in defense of Senator Chris Ekpenyong (1st
Respondent), Mr. Amba tendered a copy of a report he addressed to INEC
Electoral Officer, EO, for Essien Udim,
in order to back up his claims that he and other INEC officials that were on duty
from polling units 5 to 15 in Ekpenyong (I) ward on the election day were
abducted at about 6.30am by armed thugs who also carted away election materials
and subsequently forced the INEC officials to thumbprint and write results in
favour of the All Progressives Congress, APC, after which they were released at
about 8.00pm.
But Senator Godswill Akpabio’s
counsel, S.I. Ameh, SAN, asked the court to show the witness paragraph 64 of a statement
filed by INEC at the tribunal, which stated that INEC ad hoc staff were
abducted only at one polling unit in the entire Ekpenyong (I) Ward, which was at
Village Hall in Nto Uso community, thus contradicting Mr. Amba Amba’s report
which has it that 5 to 15 polling units were affected by abduction in the ward.
Mr. Amba later dumbfounded when
he was shown results signed by the very Essien Udim Electoral Officer who he purportedly
addressed in his report written to complain the issue of abduction and hijacking
of election materials.
When asked whether he reported
the incident of abduction to the police, he said he did not do that.
The witness was once again astounded
when it was brought to his notice that polling units results were collated at
the ward collation centre as well as local government headquarters at Afaha
Ikot Ebak, contrary to his claim that collation took place
at unknown location.
at unknown location.
Thirteen certified true copies of
INEC polling units results (Form EC 8As) admitted as Exhibit P570 to P582, were
shown to the witness in the dock to prove to him that his employer tendered
them as evidence in court.
During reexamination, Amba Amba stunned
the court once more as he responded to a question put to him by the 1st
Respondent’s counsel, Barr. Uchenna Njoku, affirming that his report to Essien
Udim EO was an internal memo at INEC.
Meanwhile a witness, Mr. Cletus
Udoakpan, who was APC Ward collation agent for Ekpeyong (I) during the
election, had earlier testified before the tribunal that there was no cancellation
of election results in all the 15 polling units in Ekpenyong (I) Ward.
©The Sensor Newspaper
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