Hearing continued, Wednesday, on the petition challenging the emergence of Hon. Martins Oke as the lawmaker representing Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-Uwani Constituency in the House of Representatives.
The case was filed before the National Assembly/State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu by Mr. Anikezie Chukwuma Jonathan of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Anikezie, who was the first to give evidence in his petition, has closed his case, paving the way for Oke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to open his defence.
While giving evidence, a Defence Witness, Odo Jude Nnanyelugo, who was the ward agent for Ukehe Ward 5, in Igbo-Etiti, told the Tribunal that he co-signed the result sheet with the APC agent for the ward, Onyeanwa Nwiyi.
He was led in evidence by the counsel to the 1st Respondent, Mr. Ogochukwu Onyekwuruje.
Odo told the Tribunal that the results were brought to the ward collation centre by the five polling booth presiding officers and collated one after the other.
“They did not arrive at the same time; they were collated as they arrived. The last result arrived around 10:27 p.m. on the 23rd February, 2019. Collation ended after mid-night; that’s on the 24th day of February, 2019.
“After the collation, I signed the ward result; the APC agent also signed.
Onyeanwa Nwiyi is the same person as Nwiyi Francis O. I know him in person and I saw him sign the result sheet,” he told the Tribunal.
During cross-examination, the counsel to the 2nd Respondent, (PDP), Mr. Tochukwu Odoh had sought to tender the Certified True Copy of the Ward Result, marked Form EC8B2, but was opposed by the counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Partick Luke, who told the Tribunal that the document sought to be tendered was at variant with another document already admitted in evidence.
He further stated that “the document is a photocopy and there is no receipt attached to it; so, it has not complied with Sections 104 and 105 of the Evidence Act.
“Therefore, the document is inadmissible; we urge the Tribunal to reject same.”
He was, however, overruled by the Tribunal.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Hon. Justice H.H. Kerang, who read the ruling said the objections the petitioners’ counsel raised were issues to come up during the final address.
While being cross-examined by the petitioners’ counsel, the witness was asked to identify the discrepancies in two documents, Exhibit P9 and P4, wherein the total number of accredited voters in the result sheet was recorded as 148 whereas in another document, P9, the total number of those accredited with the smart card reader showed 150.
Meanwhile, another Defence Witness, Barr. Ezugwu Chigozie Joseph, who was the PDP ward agent for Nkpologwu Ward, in Uzo-Uwani Local Government also told the Tribunal that he co-signed the final result of the ward with the APC agent.
“Voters were accredited using voters’ register and the smart card read. After the collation, APC agent, Hon. Ezeanyanwu signed; I also signed,” he said.
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