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Joe Effiong, Uyo
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rejig its outing at the Akwa Ibom State governorship election petition tribunal, saying the current flip-flop and haphazard litigation processes will do the APC no good.
PDP Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this yesterday in a statement entitled: ‘APC’s endless flip-flop and scare mongering’.
APC had said it had received credible intelligence and classified information that PDP and other respondents in the ongoing governorship election petition trial were making desperate attempts to tamper with the avalanche of the exhibits and documented evidence it tendered at the tribunal, challenging the re-election of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
In its reaction, the PDP denied APC’s allegation, saying: “The evidence tendered by the petitioner have been duly marked and recorded by the court and therefore are now the property of the court, kept in safe custody.
These documents, most of them being public documents, exist in several copies, with only the Certified True Copies lodged with the tribunal and therefore cannot be tempered with.
“The nearest to what could have been called tampering with evidence, was done by the petitioner’s counsel, who was reprimanded in open court for demanding and handling exhibits, when it was not yet time for that.
“We have noted with pity the consolatory ambience that the ‘avalanche’ of evidence by the petitioners and we do not intend to destroy the placebo effect on them, but wish to subtly intimate the APC that one does not need an avalanche of evidence to win a case and the dumping of evidence on the tribunal is not a mark of legal craftsmanship.
“Furthermore, it is the truth, that while the petitioner’s legal team have sought for and changed their petition more than twice, the final amended copy filed on June 17, 2019, our defence has been constant and unchanging, on what basis will we then attempt to tamper with evidence?
“Is it not amazing that the same APC, through their governorship candidate cum ‘walking stick’ negotiator and their famed national comedian addressed a press conference immediately after the elections and claimed that they won in 26 local government areas and that they will head to the tribunal to reclaim their victory, by presenting results to show where and how they won?
“Most surprisingly, both in their petition and oral evidence no mention was made of their alleged victory in the 26 councils, rather they claimed they won in only two councils (Etim Ekpo and Essien Udim).
“This flip flop nature exhibited habitually by the APC will do them no good at the end. If anything, it speaks to their stiff-necked resolve to continue to waste oxygen on a corpse,” the PDP said.
