EMMANUEL EKON'S WITNESSES CAUSE STIR AT TRIBUNAL WITH CONTRADICTORY TESTIMONIES

****Says Emman Ekon should illegally be returned to House of Representatives

***Admits he knows nothing about Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency


The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in Petition No: EPT/AKS/HR/04/2019 between Emmanuel Ekon & Anor V. Hon. Aniekan Umanah & 2 Ors was yesterday, 30th July, 2019 flummoxed on the comedy and blunders made by witnesses of the Petitioner during cross examination by the first and second respondents counsels, Solomon Umoh, SAN and Godwin Umoh, Esq respectively.

The testimony of the so-called subpoenaed witnesses caused great discomfort and anxiety for the 1st Petitioner(Emmanuel Ekon), as he became jittery and completely restless as he watched his witnesses manifestly contradict themselves under the heat of cross examination by the defence counsels.

All four witnesses presented by Hon. Emmanuel Ekon to testify during proceedings contradicted themselves when they alleged in one breathe that there was no election in their polling units but in another breathe struggled to lead evidence that the Petitioner won the elections in their polling units and ought to be returned as elected.

Henry Akpan Usoro, one of the witnesses who said he's from Ikot Onono in Ika LGA claimed he knows nothing about Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency when asked about the rotational arrangement and zoning applicable in the three local governments, even though he admitted that the 1st Petitioner (Emmanuel Ekon)had never won an election under the platform of the 2nd Petitioner(APC) but won previous elections under the platform of the 2nd Respondent (PDP).

The second witness, George Aniekemeabasi from Ikot Antia in Ika who also contradicted himself when he said his unit does not have voters register even after admitting that he registered as a voter from his unit and collected his voters card as a voter for his unit.

The witness who obfuscated himself with disjointed grammar but claimed to be a GRADUATE of political science from the University of Uyo was asked to state the University where he graduated from by the Tribunal. The witness in his characteristic grammatical quagmire also stated that he made only a verbal report to an unnamed security officer concerning his claims that election didn’t hold in his polling unit.

S. C. Peters, Counsel to Emmanuel Ekon in his efforts to rescue their drowning witnesses attempted to turn the tribunal to a house of commotion with his countless interruption and objections but was put under control by the tribunal.

With this development, the Tribunal adjourned the matter for conclusion of the Petitioners’ case to Thursday, 1st August,2019 as that is the last date accorded the Petitioners to conclude their testimonies and prove their verbose allegations contained in the petition filed by the Petitioners.