There was mild drama as the witness for the respondent, former governor Godswill Akpabio in the Akwa Ibom senatorial election litigation contradicted himself at the tribunal on Tuesday, September 15.
The All Progressives Congress for Akwa Ibom northwest senatorial district, Chief Inebehe Okori had approached the tribunal questioning the conduct and declaration of Akpabio as the winner of the March 28 polls.
According to This Day, the witness, Micheal Akpan, admitted before the tribunal that their constituencies had in the past elections voted for some members of the opposition. He had earlier informed the tribunal that Ukanafun people had always voted for the Peoples Democratic Party as a tradition.
When asked by counsel to the petitioner, Chief Assam Assam (SAN), if he knew Ubong Etiebet, he admitted he knew him as a former member of the House of Representatives for Ukanafun/Oruk Anam federal constituency on the platform of the ANPP thereby contradicting himself.
He also acknowledged that the area also voted a former council chairman, Hon Eseme Udoh from the opposition party, thus contradicting his earlier claim that the PDP was the only popular political party in Ukanafun.
When presented with the Card Reader analysis of his ward to tell the court how many polling units had accreditation, Akpan said that though eight polling units exist in his ward, there was no accreditation in units 003, 005 and 007. Another witness, Barr Micheal Nyah from Ikot Abia Idem village in Ikot Ekpene, called by the petitioners’ counsel was prevented from testifying because there was an error in his statement on oath which had Micheal Nyak on it instead of Micheal Nyah.
The tribunal said the mistake is unpardonable as Akpabio’s lawyer ought to have discovered the misspelling before calling the witness. Also testifying, Hon Eyoma Nkanta told the tribunal that elections were conducted in Ika, where he voted. He was given the local government Card Reader report which stood at 12,793 but has a result of 26,484 declared.
He was also showed his polling unit card reader analysis which showed that only 261 voters were accredited but a result of 550 was declared on the final result sheet.
He then admitted that former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Akaniyene Eyo, former members of the State Assembly, Iniobong Ekanem and Ernest Ukpong and former chairman of counsel, Dr Francis Udoikpong all won under the then All Progressives Party (APP) after massively and overwhelmingly defeating the PDP as against his earlier testimony that the PDP have always been winning elections in Ika.
The last witness called by Akpabio’s counsel on Tuesday was Elijah Ekanem from Ikot Ekpene who said he voted in his polling unit 001, Lutheran High School Gate, Ikot Ekpene where card reader showed 229 as total number of accredited voters. But when asked to read the result sheet, he said he forgot his glasses at home and can’t read. Even a flash light provided by the tribunal registrar could not make him see. He had earlier claimed he saw a large crowd of APC supporters in his polling unit when he came for accreditation but denied knowing or seeing any APC member when asked if he saw them when he came back for voting.
He, however, denied seeing other voters being accredited after he was done with his accreditation. The case was adjourned to September 16, for continuation of hearing.
Meanwhile, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state, yesterday, September 15, dismissed as false the rumour making the rounds that there is strained in relationship between him and his predecessor, Godswill Akpabio.
The governor noted that the rumour which he said was majorly spread through the social media was aimed to create disaffection between him and his immediate former boss.
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