Governorship Election Petition Tribunal: Witnesses Give Evidence On March 9 Governorship Election In Rivers

The Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal heard evidence from two witnesses on Friday about the governorship election which held in Rivers State on 9 March, 2019.

The witnesses were from Andoni and Oyigbo Local Government Areas of the state and were called to give evidence by counsel to second respondent, Barrister E.C. Ukala (SAN), in the petition filed by the governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) to challenge the victory of Chief Nyesom Wike in the 2019 election.

Those called to testify were Mr Samuel Gilbert and Dr. Nweke Jackson, who took the witness box to give evidence about the election before the tribunal.

Dr. Jackson who was first called to give evidence said that he was appointed collation agent for the Peoples Democratic Party in the election in Oyigbo local government area saying there were 10 wards in the local government area and that election held in all the wards.

He was cross-examined by counsel to Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Joshua Musa (SAN), in which the witness said after the collation of results from all wards, results were announced at the collation centre in the local government area.

He said he was present when the results were collated and announced saying that the election was peaceful and recalled there were polling agents in all polling units in the local government area.

The witness was also cross-examined by counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission, Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN), in which he said he witnessed the collation of results by officials of Independent National Electoral Commission saying he did not see men in military uniform hijack election materials for thumbprinting.

He said there was no collusion between agents of Peoples Democratic Party and officials of Independent National Electoral Commission to “doctor” results in the election.

He said officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the election in the local government area in the “best manner possible” and also conducted themselves well throughout the election.

When he was cross-examined by petitioner’s counsel, Barrister Dolapo Tella-Attoni, the witness said he visited some polling units on the day of election out of the 109 polling units in Oyigbo local government area.

Counsels to INEC, Peoples Democratic Party and second respondent objected to the cross-examination by the petitioner’s counsel at some point when they said questions by petitioner’s counsel were not on statements sworn on affidavit by witness but petitioner’s counsel said he asked the questions to test the credibility of what the witness was saying and when once petitioner’s counsel said the witness was not a collation agent of his party in the election because he had no INEC certified tag during the election, the witness said that the insinuation was wrong.

On his part, the second witness, Mr Gilbert, told the tribunal that he was appointed local government area collation agent in the election for the Peoples Democratic Party and Independent National Electoral Commission in Andoni local government area.

In cross-examination by counsel to Peoples Democratic Party, the witness confirmed that election took place in all eleven wards in Andoni local government area, saying PDP had polling unit agents in all units in the local government area and also ward collation agents in all wards in the local government area.

He said results from all wards were collated at the local government area collation centre and that after collation and computation of the results, the results were announced by the collation officer at the local government area collation centre saying that the announcement was done in his presence.

He said there was no electoral violence or malpractice throughout the election in the local government area stressing that the election held peacefully in Ataba Ward 10 and 11.

The witness who was also cross-examined by counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission told the tribunal that results of the governorship election were entered in Form EC8A and were duly signed and stamped by officials of Independent National Electoral Commission, adding that ward results were entered in Form EC8B and duly signed and stamped by INEC officials while local government area collation centre results were also entered in Form EC8C and duly signed and stamped by officials of Independent National Electoral Commission.

He said officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission behaved well throughout the election in the local government area.

The witness said he did not see any PDP thugs hijack election materials as he went round wards and polling units in the local government area during the election.

In cross-examination by petitioner’s counsel, the witness said he saw the distribution of election materials in the local government area, saying the distribution of the election materials took place in Ngo, headquarters of the local government area and had started at about 8am in the morning.

He said he left the local government area collation centre after the results were announced and told the tribunal he came from Ward 5 in Ikuru-Town in Andoni local government area.

The governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party in the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State, Hon. Victor Fingesi, filed a petition before the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the victory of Governor Nyesom Wike in the 2019 governorship election. Governor Wike won re-election victory in the election on platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.     

First respondent in the petition by ADP’s governorship candidate is Independent National Electoral Commission while second and third respondents are Governor Nyesom Wike and Peoples Democratic Party respectively.

The Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Honourable Justice K.A. Ojiako, adjourned sitting at the end of cross-examination to 1 August, 2019 for continuation of hearing.