Akpabio Vs Ekpenyong: Video Evidence Scatters Election Observer’s Testimony … As Witness Claims Card Reader Not Medium For Accreditation

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By UbongAbasi Ise

The national assembly tribunal sitting in Uyo over the matter between Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Chris Ekpenyong, has tasted another tidbit from a witness who entered dock yesterday to report widespread violence and irregularities that characterized February 23 senatorial election in Akwa Ibom Northwest District, only to be allegedly found enjoying peaceful electoral atmosphere in a video taken on the election day and tendered as an evidence at the tribunal.
Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, the director general of a non-governmental organization known as Center for Credible Leadership and Citizen Awareness, was said to be accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to be amongst the observers of electoral processes in 2019 general elections. He said there was no election in all the polling units he visited in Ukana West II Ward in Essien Udim local government area on the election day as there was no election materials on sight. At polling unit 11 (Independence High School, Ukana), the witness claimed he did not see any form of accreditation or voting at the polling unit, although he saw some clusters of individuals who were probably the electorates, while few persons found there were dressed in the uniform of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
But in the light of cross-examination by the petitioner’s lead counsel, S.I. Ameh, SAN, it was put forward to Dr. Gabriel Nwambu that in a video Exhibit (P551) available at the tribunal, he was conspicuously spotted moving around wearing elections observer’s vest at polling units clustered at the Independent High School in Ukana in a free and peaceful atmosphere with electoral processes going on.

 As it would be recalled, the video was played before the tribunal recently, and 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 former senate minority leader undergoing accreditation and voting processes in apparent peaceful atmosphere.
While questioning the witness on why his own version of report on the election was at variance with others, S.I. Ameh referred the Nwambu to page 1 and 11 of the Nation Newspaper of Monday June 24, 2019 where Akwa Ibom State Government through the office of the State Secretary General sponsored an advertorial which said elections in Akwa Ibom State was generally free and fair as gleaned from the reports of both domestic and international observers.
Dr. Gabriel Nwambu was also shown a paragraph of INEC’s statement which described the 2019 presidential and national assembly elections in Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District as being amongst the freest and most credible elections ever conducted since 1999.
When asked question hinging on accreditation, Nwambu took time to educate the tribunal, averring that smart card reader is no means of accreditation but a device used in authenticating the ownership of the bearer of a permanent voter’s card, PVC.
He claimed to have visited 11 out of 18 polling units in Ukana West II, but such record was not found in his witness’s statement marked as Exhibit R593.

©The Sensor Newspaper

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