Dependence On ‘Federal Might’ Cost Us Akwa Ibom – APC Caucus Member Tells Tribunal

By Ifiok Itiaba

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was thrown into a frenzy on Tuesday when a state caucus member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Elder Enefiok Ekefre told the tribunal that his party lost the election because it wholly depended on ‘Federal Might.’

He further said the 2019 general election was the most transparent election he has witnessed in his over 30 years experience in politics in the state.

Ekefre who was the respondent witness 16, also said that his party lost the March 9^th 2019 governorship election because the party failed to take its campaign to the grassroots.

Ekefre who said he arrived his polling unit by 9:15 am maintained that there was no violence throughout the exercise, adding that the results announced by INEC officials were transparent.

“As an experienced politician I advised the party to embark on grassroots campaign as that was the only way to dislodge PDP which has been in power for 20 years in the state, but the party ignored my advice and that was why the party lost”

During cross-examination by counsel to the petitioner, J. S. Okutepa, SAN Ekefre said he was not a staff of INEC to know the number of people that were accredited during the exercise 

He, however, maintained that the accreditation exercise and voting went on smoothly in his unit throughout the exercise.

A PDP polling agent from Unit 004 in Ward 4, Uruan local government area Wilfred Okon also debunked allegations by an APC witness, Godwin Jarkwa, on the conduct of election in his unit.

Okon also admitted while being led in evidence by counsel to the PDP Tayo Oyetibo SAN, that he alongside the APC unit agent, signed the result form EC8A, marked as Exhibit RXA 2335 after the collation.

The PDP agent said he was at the polling unit throughout the elections, which he according to him held in very free and fair atmosphere, under the watch of security agents. 

“There was no fake material printed and distributed at the election venue and there was a fair presence of security agents who performed their duties.”

The tribunal adjourned hearing till Wednesday.

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