Delta polls: APC witness slumps in court

A witness for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akpos Willy (P.W 10), slumped yesterday during cross-examination at the resumed sitting of the Delta State governorship tribunal panel 1 in Asaba, Delta State.

Before Willy slumped, he told the tribunal that at Unit 6, Kunukunuma community, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South/West “nobody was accredited yet voting held”.

Several witness also 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 (INEC).

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

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

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

Jacob John (P.W 8) alleged that at the end of election in Unit 10, Ward 7, INEC workers allocated votes to the PDP. “The use of the smart card readers was not regular as some voters, whose names were not on the register, voted,” he said.

Johnson Ichime (P.W 8), APC Ward collation officer for Okpe council 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 because election materials never arrived. The bulk of the materials were nowhere to be found.”

The APC governorship candidate, Great Ogboru, is challenging the outcome of the March 9 election on grounds that the election was conducted in breach of electoral guidelines. He is praying the tribunal to cancel the election.

Joined in the suit is Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (first respondent); PDP (second respondent) and INEC (third respondent).

The matter was adjourned till July 4.