AK Governorship Election Tribunal: petitioner calls for relocation of siting to Abuja

YPP governorship candidate in the 2023 Akwa Ibom governorship election, Senator Bassey Akpan has called for the relocation of the tribunal sitting in Uyo to Abuja the nation’s capital.

Akpan made the call Wednesday at the resume hearing in the election matter between himself, his party YPP vs PDP, INEC and Umo Eno. He cited threats to his life and the level of insecurity in the state recently. The petitioner was to be cross examined by the Justice Adeleye led tribunal ahead of closing his defence but pleaded that his life and that of his witnesses have been threatened by agents of the state government, hence his request to relocate the tribunal to Abuja.

According to sources close to the petition, the relocation notice might not be unconnected to the unfortunate event of Tuesday, June 20, shortly after sitting which witnessed a failed attempt to arrest the supaened witness by agents of the state government.

Mr Daniel Edet Akpan, an administrative officer of the University of Uyo was at the Tribunal to testify against the defendant’s WAEC certifications and his qualification or otherwise to have graduated from the University of Uyo. Akpan’s vexed revelation at the Tribunal irked the PDP and Governor Umo Eno’s legal team. A development that led to the barricade of Wellington Bassey Way in an attempt to arrest the witness.

The petitioner’s vehicle was teargas by armed security men amidst sporadic shooting. It was gathered that it took the intervention of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio for the security men to release the YPP governorship candidate who was held hostage for more than four hours

At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul Usoro, SAN, counsel for the PDP and Governor Umo Eno argued that the absence of the petitioner in court was going to delay the cross examination process.

The Tribunal adjourned the hearing to July 5.