PDP STAR WITNESS REVEALS HOW APC THUGS HIJACKED [b][/b]ELECTION MATERIALS AT POLLING UNITS



The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, on Wednesday told the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Uyo, that elections were cancelled in polling units in wards 8, 9 and 10 by the electoral body, INEC because election materials in the affected units were hijacked by thugs sponsored by the Governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Nsima Ekere.

Under cross examination, Barr. Enoidem who appeared as star witness before the tribunal, as State collation agent for PDP in the March, 9 Governorship election, further informed the court that a candidate of the APC for the House of Assembly seat, Barr. Chris Okorie lost in his own polling unit in Etim Ekpo.

He lamented that the imported thugs were led to units which where considered as PDP strongholds and carted away election materials to Senator Godswill Akpabio's house in Ukana, Essien Udim local government Area on election day.

"Elections were canceled in some polling units and wards because they were hijacked by thugs sponsored by the petitioner, Nsima Ekere and his party, APC"

He also told the court that the thugs who were brought from Edo state in 50 buses were arrested by the police and they confessed that they were paid by APC and Mr Ekere to come into the state to destabilise PDP supporters in their strongholds.

The National Legal Adviser of PDP, Barr. Enoidem, who testified as first witness, took time to present before the tribunal, unit by unit, ward by ward and local government after local government, all the Certified True Copies of results in the Governorship Elections held on March 9,2019.


Nsima Ekere's lead Counsel, Prof Ernest Ojukwu SAN, who was visibly uncomfortable by the stunning revelations reeled out by Barr. Enoidem, tried in vain countless times to halt the process, but Justice A. M. Yakubu led three man panel of the tribunal would have none of that.


Enoidem, under cross examination by Prof. Ernest Ojukwu,SAN admitted that he voted in his local government.

The former Commissioner in the state executive Council lamented that hijacked materials and INEC officials were taken to Chief Godswill Akpabio's house in Essien Udim for massive electoral fraud, hence most cancellations by the electoral commission.

Earlier while being led in testimony by Chief Assam Assam, SAN Enoidem tendered all Unit Results (Form EC8A) and Local Government Results (Form EC8B), Form EC8C, Form EC8D and Form EC8E including the CTC of the receipt of payment to INEC in application for the forms tendered.

Under Examination by Uko Udom SAN, appearing for the 2nd Respondent, PDP, the witness affirmed his evidence in chief and stated the role he played as the state Collation Agent of the PDP.

Answering questions from the 3rd Respondent, INEC Counsel, Sylva Ogwemoh SAN, the witness affirmed that he was at the INEC office at the state and participated in the process of the collation of results from all the Local Government Areas in the state.

He stated that he took part in the collation exercise in concert with over fifty other political party agents, including Ambassador Sam Akpan who was the state Collation Agent of the APC in the state.

The court room however experienced a mixture of excitement and disquiet when the Petitioner's Lawyer, Ernest Ojukwu, SAN attempted to force the witness to respond to questions on documents he neither made nor tendered.


Efforts made by Ojukwu, SAN to cross examine the
witness on voter registers met the stiff opposition of Assam Assam, SAN who objected to such questions being put to the witness.

The tribunal panel chairman, Justice A. M. Yakubu, upheld the argument of Assam Assam , SAN and held that, "the witness could not be cross examined on documents neither made nor tendered by him".



The proceeding was witnessed by some members of the state Executive Council, led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, Commissioner for Education, Prof. Nse Essien, Mr.Monday Ebong Uko, of the Youth and Sports Ministry, Ekong Sampson, Environment and Petroleum Resources, Arc Ime Ekpo, Lands and Water Resources, Mr. Uno Etim Uno of Culture and Tourism Ministry, among others.

The clock is ticking tow and fro, left and right to the rightful people.