3rd September, 2015
The Akwa Ibiom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Wednesday opened defense in the election petition challenging his victory in the April election in court.
It would be recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Umana Umana had approached the tribunal challenging conduct of the election and declaration of Udom Emmanuel as winner of the election.
The Governor and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party opened their defense before the tribunal yesterday by calling four witnesses who testified at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The first defence witness, Dr. Bassey Asuquo told the tribunal headed by Justice Sadiq Umar that the election was conducted without violence and that he voted in the polls.
Led in evidence by Mr Paul Usoro SAN counsel to Governor Udom, the witness who claimed to be a medical scientist and polling agent of The Peoples Democratic Party denied allegations of ballot boxes hijacking and any form of violence.
He said in his testimony that results were collated from all the 14 units in Uyo local government except in three units where he admitted that the election could not be conducted because of violence allegedly ignited by one Mr. Friday Edem a ward chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The witness maintained that the said Edem allegedly obstructed the election process by using a group of thugs and that all efforts to begin accreditation by the officials of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) failed.
However under cross examination by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN counsel to the APC and its governorship candidate Chief Umana Okon Umana who are the petitioners, the witness admitted that 941 votes were recorded for the Peoples Democratic Party in the units he claimed election did not hold.
The witness also read out nine collated results sheets from different units signed by one Joseph Okon Peter who claimed to be a collation agent of the PDP.
Other witnesses are Mr. Godwin Ndukude, Isaiah Abia and one Maxwell.
In his own evidence, Mr. Godwin Ndukude a former commissioner for Transport during the election claimed that the election was free and fair and that he voted in the poll.
Although the witness claimed that accreditation was done before the election, he however could not point out a single name marked for accreditation on the voters register by the officials of the independent national electoral commission.