Akwa Ibom Guber: PDP, APC Brawl Over Alleged Evidence Tampering

By Ifiok Itiaba

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC in Akwa Ibom State were at the weekend engaged in a war of words over alleged moves to tamper with the evidence before the Governorship Election Tribunal.

The APC kickstarted the rumpus when it alleged that the PDP was set to tamper with crucial evidence before the tribunal.

The APC in the statement said the alleged move was the main reason for its demand for the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja.

The assertions were immediately dismissed by the PDP which again faulted what it claimed as the flip-flop of the APC which it claimed had from claiming victory in 26 Local Government Area had moved to only claiming two local government areas. The PDP said the APC was desperate for reasons to justify its massive defeat in the last election.

The APC had in a statement on Saturday issued by its spokesman, Nkereuwem Enyongekere said:

“We have received credible intelligence and classified information that the PDP and other respondents in the ongoing Governorship Election petition trial are making desperate attempts to tamper with the avalanche of the exhibits and documented evidence tendered by our party, the APC, and its governorship Candidate, Mr. Nsima Ekere at the Tribunal. 

“Our evidence and the exhibits have shown clearly that there was no accreditation at most of the polling units during the Governorship Election. This is why INEC allowed PDP supporters to engage in multiple voting using unclaimed PVCs.

Responding, the PDP in a statement issued through its State Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong debunked the APC’s claims.

“These documents, most of them being public documents, exist in several copies, with only the Certified True Copies lodged in the Tribunal and therefore cannot be tampered with. The nearest to what could have been called tampering with evidence, was done by the Petitioner’s Counsel, who was reprimanded in open court for demanding for and handling exhibits when it was not yet time for that.

“Furthermore, it is the truth that while the Petitioner’s legal team have sought for and changed their petition more than twice, the final amended copy filed on 17th of June 2019, our defence has been constant and unchanging, on what basis will we then attempt to tamper with evidence?”

“We urge the general public to discountenance the unfounded allegations by the APC, as our Legal team is peopled by very principled and credible Lawyers, who will not in any circumstance, descend to low levels of criminality. It is only the desperate that is capable of doing anything in pursuit of their ambition.

“This flip flop nature exhibited habitually by the APC will do them no good at the end. The unclassified information available to Akwa Ibom people is the divinely ordained, politically executed and democratically attained victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel and other PDP candidates at the just concluded general elections. 

“The APC must learn to live with that painful reality. The Tribunal has conducted her business, so far, under a very peaceful environment and there is nothing to warrant the relocation of the tribunal, except in pursuit of ignoble purposes.

“Is it not amazing that the same APC, through their Governorship Candidate and their famed National Comedian addressed a Press Conference immediately after the elections and claimed that they won in 26 local government areas and that they will head to the tribunal to reclaim their victory, by presenting results to show where and how they won?

“Most surprisingly, both in their petition and oral evidence no mention was made of their alleged victory in the 26 LGAs, rather they claimed that they won in only two Local Government Areas (Etim Ekpo and Essien Udim).

“Finally, we wish to state that there is no credible intelligence to show that any of the Parties in the petition(except the APC) has any intention to tamper with the evidence before the court”

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