Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday chided the counsel representing the Action Democratic Party (ADP) Dolapo Tella-Attoni, for not conducting himself professionally during cross-examination of witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice J. A. Orjiakor, made the expression in the panel’s resolution, after resuming sitting from short recess earlier in the day.
According to him, Tella-Adoni’s approach during cross-examination was confrontational and disrespectful.
Justice Orjiakor cautioned the ADP counsel to be guided accordingly in his subsequent submissions and dismissed the objections made.
He stated: “Ordinarily, we would have awarded cost to the petitioner as requested by the second respondent for his confrontational and disrespectful attitude in the representation of his client’s case before the tribunal. But, we will not. He should be guided.”
Meanwhile, the INEC Collation Officer for Oyigbo Local Government Area (LGA), Dr. Jackson Nweke, told the tribunal that election took place in the 10 wards in Oyigbo and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had agents at all the polling units.
Nweke said results were collated and announced at the collation centre, adding that he witnessed the process.
According to him, there was no trace of violence in his area on March 9, 2019, governorship election, and no report of such crime was brought to him by any of the agents deployed to the polling units.
He affirmed that INEC officials were present at the collation centre and the election was conducted in a peaceful and orderly environment in Oyigbo LGA.
Also, he said that he did not witness the hijacking of voting materials by youths or anyone in military uniform.
He told the tribunal that neither him, nor PDP agents, had agreement with other officials to doctor any of the EC8B and EC8C forms as claimed by the ADP.
Comments