Godswill Akpabio challenged at the election tribunal by Chief Inebehe Okori
Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio on Thursday closed his case at the tribunal without testifying before it.
Akpabio is a respondent in a case brought before the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Akwa Ibom North-west senatorial district, Chief Inebehe Okori.
Okori is challenging the conduct of the election and declaration of the former governor, Godswill Akpabio was winner of the poll.
At the sitting on Thursday, Akpabio urged the tribunal to allow him end his defence with the testimony of his 19th witness. He initially told the tribunal that he would call 1169 witnesses. Akpabio was said to have 450,000 votes, one of Nigeria’s highest result for a senatorial seat.
Earlier, the 2nd Respondent in the matter (INEC) told the court that they were not ready to start their defence. The tribunal then approved Friday, September 18th,2015 for the 3rd Respondent (PDP) to open their defense.
Testifying before the tribunal Thursday, Emmanuel Udoh from Ikono told the court that he voted in the election and that the PDP being the most popular political party in the area since 1999, won.
He stated that he was at his polling unit until election result was announced and pasted.
Asked by counsel to the petitioner’s lawyer, Assam Assam SAN, to tell the court the result that was announced he said he had no idea. He was given his polling unit card reader report to announce the total number of accredited voters. According to the document, failed accreditation was 170 while successful accreditation was 59 totalling 229 but the result as entered into the result sheet and announced was 476 as total number of accredited voters with PDP polling 409 votes.
Also testifying, Imekan Ben from Ukanafun …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
