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Tony John, Port Harcourt
Top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend, insisted that the Rivers State governorship election on March 9, witnessed voting at the polling units, results announced and declared at the various polling units, wards collation centres.
Testifying at the state governorship election tribunal during a cross examination, INEC electoral officers (EO), who was in charge of Port Harcourt City Local Government, Beejay Agidiomo, said elections held across the 587 units and 20 wards in the council.
He said the results were declared at the units and wards.
Answering questions from the counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), J. Y. Musa (SAN), the Port Harcourt EO said INEC followed all electoral guidelines.
He said no INEC official was arrested or questioned for illegal activities during the governorship election in Port Harcourt because it was free and fair.
Agidiomo also confirmed that electoral materials were distributed to all the pulling units and wards and there was no destruction of electoral materials on election day.
Responding to a question by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), counsel for Governor Nyesom Wike, the EO for Port Harcourt City council said: “Voting, counting, collation and declaration took place on March 9, 2019 at his council.”
Also testifying at the tribunal, EO for Andoni Local Government Area, Austine Nwana, said elections took place in all the 137 pulling units and 11 wards of Andoni council.
“I can confirm to you that elections took place in all the pulling units and wards in Andoni,” he said.
He said contrary to claims by one ADP witness, Jacob Friday, that elections were disrupted in Wards 4 and 9 of Andoni council, elections held in the two wards.
He said votes recorded at the end of the governorship election in Andoni council were in line with the voting pattern of March 9.
In his testimony, INEC EO, who was in charge of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Francis Akarakpa, admitted that elections took place in Oyigbo council on March 9.
But, he noted that after the collation of results, the PDP agent refused to sign the result sheet, while the African Action Congress (AAC) agent signed at the collation centre.
The governorship election tribunal, under the chairmanship of Justice J. A. Orjiako, adjourned sitting to July 23, for continuation of cross-examination in the petition filed by Victor Fingesi of the ADP.
Last Thursday, five INEC EOs said the governorship election on March 9, was conducted in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
