Tribunal: Ani Asikpo Fails Chris Ekpeyong In Dock ... As Counsel Mocks INEC for Crying More Than The Bereaved

By UbongAbasi Ise

Akwa Ibom Northwest (Ikot Ekpene) senatorial collation agent for the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, in February 23 election was having a tough moment while denying the cancellation of Obot Akara local government area before the national assembly election tribunal sitting in Uyo on Friday despite record put forward to him in which the total number of votes cast exceeded the total number of accredited voters in the local government area.

Mr. Ani Asikpo who entered the witness box to defend Senator Chris Ekpeyong (1st Respondent), was confronted with a records by the petitioner's lead counsel, S.I. Ameh, SAN,  which indicated falsification of results and over-voting, thus leading to the nullification of Obot Akara result.

Asikpos's claim that no election was cancelled in Obot Akara was in variance with the police report (P557) which holds that election result in Obot Akara was cancelled due to over-voting.

Available records showed that the total number of accredited voters stands at 19,632 while over 20,000 of total votes cast was recorded.

Mr. Ameh drew to the attention of the witness to 1,140 being the total number of accredited voters of Nto Edino (Ward 4) in Obot Akara as contained in the ward result marked as Exhibit R341, the same figure was found to be  cancelled at column 11 of the local government result (P547), which suggests manipulation of the election outcome.

Mr. Sebastian Etefia, a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who supervised election in Adiasim Ward in Essien Udim local government area, claimed that the absence of the police compounded widespread violence in the ward which stalled elections in Adiasim.

But S.I. Ameh read the INEC official pages 109 to 110 of a statement deposed before the tribunal by PDP ward agent in Adiasim which maintained that election held throughout the 11 polling units in the ward in peaceful atmosphere, after which result was  duly declared.

Petitioner's counsel had belated the INEC man for crying more than the bereaved as a PDP's agent admitted credible elections all over Adiasim ward in Essien Udim local government area.

Another witness that entered the dock was Mr. Asuquo Udoudo Udom from Edem Akai, Ini local government area who claimed that there were no accreditation and elections in five units due violence and hijacking of election materials but admitted that there were smart card accreditation reports, which suggests that there must have been accreditation of voters.

©The Sensor Newspaper

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