A’Ibom Gov Tribunal: PDP witness exposes how votes were ‘manufactured’ for Udom Emmanuel

Ntukude.... became 'blind' at the election tribunal

By Nse Peter

Udom Emmanuel and his party – the Peoples Democratic Party – experienced a shaky start, Wednesday, as they begin their defence at the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal; a PDP witness under cross examination surprisingly confirmed to the tribunal how votes were allegedly ‘manufactured’ for the PDP candidate in places where there was no voting during the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state.

The first defence witness (DW1) brought forward by PDP, one Imo Asuquo Okon during cross examination by Wale Olanipekun, lawyer to the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana, admitted that collation of election results could not take place in two units in his ward because of mutilated result sheet. Chief Olanipekun then asked him to read to the tribunal the result allocated to the unit which he (the witness) had earlier said there was no collation. The witness went ahead to read aloud the ‘manufactured’ results, to the astonishment of the tribunal.

The PDP witness who claimed to be a medical scientist from Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, told the tribunal that he was a ward collation agent for PDP and that he had the party polling agents working under him during the governorship election.

Also the APC lawyer while cross examining the PDP witness exposed before the court how a single name, Joseph Okon Peter, apparently a fake name, was used by PDP to sign several documents during the governorship election, in clear violation of the electoral act.

Another PDP witness, Godwin Ntukude, a serving commissioner for transport in Akwa Ibom State, also put up an embarrassing performance at the tribunal.

Mr. Ntukude, PDP Defence Witness 3 (DW3), was reportedly given INEC Voters’ Register for the Governorship and House of Assembly Elections and asked by Umana’s lawyer, Olanipekun to confirm and tell the court if his name was ticked as an accredited voter during the election. He opened the register and told the court that his name was not ticked, which was a proof that he did not vote in the elections.

Umana’s lawyer then referred Ntukude to his sworn statement before the court where he had said that election took place in his unit and that he monitored the poll. At that point, the thoroughly embarrassed Ntukude feigned blind and told the tribunal that he was unable to read his own statement.

The documents before the court showed that the four witnesses brought by PDP did not vote during the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State.

Think Akwa Ibom! learned that PDP legal team, led by Paul Usoro, SAN, couldn’t bring forward all their witnesses for the day as earlier planned because of the witnesses’ unimpressive performances at the court. One of the witnesses is said to have hurriedly left the venue of the tribunal for fear of cross examination by Umana’s lawyers.  

PDP and INEC have only 14 days to conclude their defence at the tribunal.