2019 Delta Governorship Election: APC Witness Slumps In Court

by Okungbowa Aiwerie,




There was mild drama in court Tuesday after a witness for APC All Progressive Congress (APC) slumped during cross-examination at the resumed sitting at the Delta State Governorship Tribunal Panel 1 which held in Asaba, Delta State.

The witness Akpos Willy (P.W 10) caused confusion when he slumped while being cross-examined.

Before he slumped he had earlier told the tribunal that Unit 6, Kunukunuma community, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South/West that “Nobody was accredited, yet voting took place”.

Several witness who testified alleged diversion of electoral materials, stuffing of ballot boxes with connivance of the military, the police and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

John Enakhirero (P.W) 6 who testified before the Justice Suleiman Belgore panel alleged that accreditation of voters in Effurun, Uwvie L.G.A was not done in compliance with the Electoral Act or INEC guidelines.

While being cross-examined, Enakhirero said, “Voting/accreditation did not place at the same time. I witnessed voting/accreditation in nearly all the units. There were some areas voters were chased away”.

Another witness, Jacob Ekpekurede (P.W 7) told the tribunal that some men in military uniform chased him away while voting was still going on.
He further told the tribunal voting was going on when his attention was drawn to the fact that collation of results had started in one of the classroom.

Jacob John (P.W alleged that at the end of election in Unit 10, Ward 7 INEC staff allocated votes to the PDP.

He said, “the use of the smart card reader was not regular, some voters whose names were not on the register voted”.

Johnson Ichime, (P.W APC Ward collation officer, Okpe L.G.A alleged that units 2,8,9,10,11,12 and 13 were characterised by over voting.

Yet another witness P.W 11, Uvo Royce said, “I spent few minutes in some wards, due to the fact that election materials never arrived. The bulk of the materials were nowhere to be found either on INEC or ad-hoc staff.”

The APC gubernatorial candidate, Great Ogboru in his petition marked EPT/DT/GOV/01/2019 is challenging the outcome of the March 9 Delta State governorship election on grounds that the election was conducted in breach of the electoral guidelines.

He is praying the tribunal to cancel the election.
Joined in the suit is Gov Ifeanyi Okowa 1st respondent, PDP 2nd respondent while INEC is the 3rd respondent.

The matter was adjourned to 4thJuly 2019.