Election Rigging: Court Dismisses No Case Submission By Professor

Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo was on Thursday ordered to make his defence in the allegation of election rigging brought against him by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC at an Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo.

The High Court had on Thursday dismissed the ‘No case submission’ and preliminary objection filed by the accused after the INEC accused him of trying to rig the 2019 election where he served as an ad-hoc official of the commission.

Professor Uduk who served as Collation/Returning officer for the Essien Udim State consituency during the 2019 general elections is being prosecuted by INEC for allegedly publishing false election results and for perjury.

GreenWhiteGreen GWG reports that the accused had following the conclusion of the prosecution’s case on January 27, 2022, on February 9, 2022 filed a ‘No case submission’ and Preliminary objection.

The presiding judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang in his ruling on the no case submission, however, dismissed all six grounds saying that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence for the accused to present his defence.

Upon the submission by counsels to all the parties to the case, it was resolved to adjourn the case to to June 23, 27, 28 and 30th for the suspect to open his defence.

Welcoming the ruling, INEC, counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN) said it was a well researched ruling.

“It covers everything. As you all heard, the preliminary objection of the accused was dismissed, the ‘No case submission’ was also dismissed because as you all saw the  prosecution tendered avalanche of documents showing the connection of the accused person to the crimes charged before the court.

“Honestly speaking, it would have amounted to failure of justice for the court to had held that the accused person who had issued contradictory reports would have no case to answer.

“All we urged the Court was to see and hold that he has a Prima facie case to answer before His Lordship and we are very grateful the Court did a very wonderful job,  well researched ruling and we feel justice has been served”

Also responding to the ruling, the defence counsel, Abasiodiong Ekpenyong said he would study it.

Ekpenyong said: “We have just been handed down the ruling, we will take a closer look at the ruling again. I have options available to me. Certainly option avaiilable to me is an appeal.

” I did not had to raise that before my Lord because I have not made up my mind on that yet. When I have access to the ruling, I will sleep over it with my team, and then explain it to my client, make the options available to him, and then we will know what next to do”,

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