A
former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godwill Akpabio, could not open his
defence at the Akwa Ibom State National and State Assemblies Election Petitions
Tribunal in Abuja on Wednesday as he was said to have been flown abroad for
medical attention.
Akpabio’s
vehicle was involved in a road crash on Monday in Abuja and was subsequently
hospitalised at the National Hospital in the Federal Capital Territory.
The
former governor was flown abroad on Tuesday to seek further medical attention.
Though
hearing in the petition of the All Progressives Congress Senatorial candidate
in the Akwa Ibom North-West district in the March 28 election, Chief Inibehe
Okori, against Akpabio held, it started without the testimony of the former
governor, who is the first respondent in the petition.
Okori
had filed a petition before the tribunal, challenging the conduct of the
senatorial election and the declaration of Akpabio, who was the candidate of
the Peoples Democratic Party, as the winner of the poll. The PDP is the second
respondent in the case.
The
tribunal adjourned the opening of Akpabio’s testimony to Saturday, September
12, 2015.
Meanwhile,
hearing in the respondents’ defence began with the National Secretary of the
PDP, Prof. Wale Oladipo, clearing the air on the error on the nomination form
of Akpabio.
The
PDP had indicated that the ex-governor, who is now the Senate Minority Leader,
was nominated for the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District election instead
of the Akwa Ibom North-West.
Oladipo
explained that despite the ‘clerical error’ on Akpabio’s INEC Form CF 002C,
INEC knew that the former governor was nominated and sponsored by the PDP for
the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District seat, saying “INEC was present at
the PDP primary that was won by the first respondent.”
The
tribunal, led by Justice Goddy Anunihu, also adjourned till September 12
the ruling on the admissibility of forensic report on the election materials by
Okori.
Culled from Punch
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