Akwa Lbom Tribunal: I Didn’t Win The 2019 Guber Election – Nsima Ekere

…Seeks Fresh Governorship Elections
In apparent disregard to almost all the averments in his written
statement on oath, APC Governorship Candidate, Nsima Ekere Thursday
told the Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal in Uyo that he
did not win the 2019 elections

Testifying as principal witness (PW46) in his petition against
Governor Udom Emmanuel’s re-election, he said he could no longer
stand by his written deposition and wants the entire election
nullified.

Similarly, the APC deputy governorship candidate in the
election, Amadu Attai has announced that the ballot papers his
party obtained from INEC as exhibits in the case, are no longer
useful and would no longer be tendered before the tribunal.

Attai, PW47, in reference to Paragraph 32(6) confessed that he
had no evidence to authenticate his claims that voter’s cards of
other people were used by PDP members for multiple voting, neither
could he present any data to back his card reader report in his
Paragraph 33.

On his part, Ekere, during cross examination by 2nd Respondents’
Counsel Tayo Oyetibo SAN, dismissed his earlier claims that he won
in some local government areas in the state including Essien Udim
and Etim Ekpo during the March 9 Governorship elections.

When confronted with his earlier deposition and the evidence by
the Essien Udim Divisional Police Officer, Samuel Isiek, that
election in Essien Udim was free, fair and credible he admitted
that even though his tendered result showed he won in Essien Udim,
he wants the election also canceled.

“My plea is for full nullification of the entire elections,
including Essien Udim, because by the time we went through
documents provided by INEC we discovered that election was not
conducted according to the provisions of the electoral law.” he
said.

Referring the petitioner to Paragraph 15 Sub 11 of his
statement, Oyetibo asked if accreditation took place in the areas
that he allegedly won, Ekere replied that he was no longer in
support of his previous statement about winning in those areas.

“My lord, I have abandoned the areas I won”

When confronted with his statement on oath in paragraphs 15(18)
where he claimed to have figures of accredited voters for the March
9 election, Ekere confirmed that he got it from INEC sever but
failed to provide the data source before the tribunal.

The APC governorship candidate who had alleged in Paragraph 44
of his deposition that INEC recruited PDP members as electoral
officers, also failed to provide the list of PDP members who he
claimed were recruited by INEC as Assistant Polling Officer,
Supervisor Polling Officers and Returning Officers for the
election.

Sensing frustration at some point during cross examination, Mr
Ekere sought the protection of the Tribunal panel chairman, A. M.
Yakubu, who told him to answer the question, as his request for
protection at that point was unwarranted.

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