A’ Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal: Sen. Bassey Akpan tenders WAEC certificate

The Candidate of the the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2023 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Albert Bassey Akpan has tendered his WAEC certificate to the election tribunal sitting in Uyo.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Senator Albert affirmed to the court that his surname, Akpan, is the first in chronicling of his name by the West African Examination Council certificate of 1989, which he sat for.

The YPP’s candidate’s testimony correlates with the position of Barr. Adekanbi Olaolu, a senior staff of the West African Examination Council and subpoenaed witness, who told the court last month, the examination body usually chronicles the name of a candidate for its examination beginning from the candidate’s surname.

Counsel to the second respondent (Eno Umo Bassey), Paul Usoro (SAN) during cross examination asked the witness (Sen. Albert), if he has met anyone with the name ‘Bassey, Umo Eno’, before.

Responding, the YPP candidate told the court he has not met ‘Bassey, Umo Eno’, but has met ‘Eno, Umo Bassey’, and the two are different individuals.

Recall WAEC had in June tendered a results listing of candidates for Victory High School, Ikeja, with the name ‘Bassey, Umo Eno’, as candidate with number ‘15520232’. Olaolu had also told the court the examination body depends on what individual candidates submit to them through their respective institutions, while admitting it is not the duty of the body to determine which is the surname of a candidate.

Olaolu while testifying, asserted that candidates who sat for WAEC examinations however have a window to reconcile their names through a well spelt out process of which the PDP candidate (Eno, Umo Bassey) failed to leverage on.

A certified true copy of records with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) affirmed that the candidate of the PDP (Eno, Umo Bassey) swore to an oath confirming his surname as ‘Eno’, on his form EC9 with INEC, as against ‘Bassey’, which appears on the controversial 1981 certificate he submitted to the election umpire.

Counsel to the 1st (INEC) and 3rd (PDP) respondents, Abdullahi SAN and Oyetibo SAN, respectively, also cross examined the YPP candidate on the same subject, to reaffirm the petitioner’s earlier position.

The petitioners closed their case while the court asked the respondents to prepare for their defense.

The case was adjourned to Monday 10th July, 2023 for the respondents to commence their defense.