News Obiaks News

A witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom state, Alloysius William, made a stunning revelation on Saturday, July 20, about the February 23, National Assembly election in the state.
            The Sun reports that he told the elections petition tribunal sitting in Uyo, the state capital, that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, instructed him to cancel votes that had already been collated for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Godswill Akpabio. The candidate of PDP at the poll, Chris Ekpenyong, was declared winner of the Akwa Ibom north west senatorial district election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).  The former Senate minority leader is, however, challenging Ekpenyong’s declaration at the tribunal sitting and had presented his witnesses in the case. Ekpenyong had also called his witnesses and closed his case. At the resumed hearing of the petition on Saturday, July 20, for the PDP to open its case, the tribunal was shocked by revelations by William, a lecturer in the University of Uyo, that results which had already been collated at the local government and senatorial district offices of INEC and which showed that Akpabio had won convincingly were cancelled on the orders of Igini in his office in Uyo. William made the startling revelations during cross-examination by S. I Ameh, the lead counsel to Akpabio.
            The PDP witness told the tribunal that as the returning officer for Essien Udim, Akpabio’s home local government area, he personally prepared the result sheet, which he entered the score for the candidate of the APC as 61,329 votes while the PDP candidate scored 9,050 votes. The witness said: “I agree that adjustments were done. These adjustments reflected in the final scores. The adjustments were done outside Essien Udim local government. They were done at INEC office in Uyo. When asked to confirm the earlier testimony of Anny Asikpo, a witness of Ekpenyong, that he (the returning officer) had at some point disappeared from the collation centre, William said: “I did not abscond.” Another witness, a corps member, who was a presiding officer during the elections, Endurance Zachary, had claimed that the elections were marred by violence and he was coerced to make entries, which gave the APC victory. However, on cross examination, he admitted that he did not make any report to anyone about his claim that materials were hijacked by thugs. He also admitted that he was forced to write his name and signature but was stunned when Ameh, counsel to Akpabio, showed him documents he claimed he was coerced to write his name and he wrote his three names: Ikhuenbor Endurance Zachary, whereas in his witness depositions that was not forced to write, he used two names only: Endurance Zachary. The case was subsequently adjourned to Tuesday, July 23, for presentation of more witnesses by the PDP and INEC.