Four witnesses who testified at the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, yesterday faulted the return of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mao Ohuabunwa as winner of the Abia North Senatorial District election, as the exercise was fraught with malpractice.
Testifying at the hearing of the consolidated petition of former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who was the candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in the senatorial election, they faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declaring the PDP candidate winner.
During the hearing, the objection raised by the respondent’s counsel to the testimony of the first witness, Onyeabo Nwabuikwu, was overruled by the tribunal and subsequently he was allowed to testify.
Counsel to INEC, Livy Uzoukwu, and Ohuabunwa’s, Tayo Oretibo, had objected to Nwabuikwu’s testimony on the grounds that as a staff of INEC, the witness was supposed to be a respondent in the matter or otherwise he should get the written consent of the Attorney-General of the Federation before his testimony would be accepted.
Counsel to Kalu, Kelvin Nwufo (SAN), argued that the witness could testify because he was on subpoena of the tribunal, which he said was superior to the Attorney General’s consent.
Tribunal Chairman, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, overruled the respondent’s objections on two grounds; first, that the witness was a subpoena of the tribunal and not necessarily for any of the parties, and that the second to ninth respondent’s counsel misconstrued the relevant section of the law on that matter.
As the hurdle cleared, Nwabuikwu told the tribunal, under cross examination, that his life had been threatened, having received several phone calls from unknown persons over his testimony, but tribunal chairman advised him to report any threat to his life to the police, which would follow up the matter.
He said he was an electoral officer in Ikwuano Local Government Area and that though election and counting were completed in Umunneochi, where he worked, the results were written before a pandemonium ensued. He wondered where the results announced were got.
The second witness, Sunday Prince Ajike Uma, the PPA party agent in Ania Ohafia, said there was no election in the area. He explained that INEC officials came to the area with electoral materials meant for another ward in Arochukwu and were asked to go back and bring the materials meant for them.
The third witness, Samuel Igbokwe, the party agent in Eziama Abo Ward, also in Umunneochi, said the two busses they were traveling in with INEC materials to the local government headquarters were intercepted by the military and taken to their camp, where they were beaten and detained.
In an interview at the end of the session, Kalu’s counsel said the hearing had proceeded well with the four witnesses. He said the hearing would continue on August 6.
