INEC to present more witnesses to testify against Collation/Returning officer in electorial fraud case
More witnesses are expected to be presented Thursday by INEC before the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, to give evidence in the ongoing case of alleged electoral fraud involving Professor Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
This followed the conclusion of cross-examination of the first Prosecution Witness, (PW1), the Head of Electoral Operations at INEC’s headquarters, Uyo, Mr Vincent Akpowene Oghene on Monday.
Professor Uduk, a Professor of Physical and Health Education, University of Uyo, who was the Collation/Returning officer for Essien Udim state constituency elections in 2019, is being challenged at the State High Court by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for allegedly announcing and publishing false election results.
During cross-examination, Mr Oghene (PWI) told the court that he knew professor Uduk during the 2019 elections, and attested that the signatures on the documents which were admitted as evidence by the Court last week is that of Uduk.
He confirmed to the Court that Professor Uduk was the Collation/Returning officer for the Essien Udim state constituency elections which the accused had already admitted in two of the documents he submitted to INEC.
“There are two documents attesting to the accused person admitting to being INEC Collation/Returning officer for Essien Udim state constituency elections.
“One is the handwritten report that Prof Uduk submitted to INEC and the second document is the form EC8, 1B, on the first Paragraph of page one”, Oghene testified.
Justice Bassey Nkanang adjourned the case until, Thursday, January 27, 2022, for the continuation of hearing.
Speaking the Prosecution Lawyer, Mr. Clement Onwuenwunor, disclosed that INEC would bring additional Witnesses to testify in the matter on Thursday.
“We are bringing more Witnesses on Thursday. The first prosecution Witness (PWI) is our Star Witness. That is the witness that we rely on for the proof of this case because at the point when this election was conducted, he was the person in charge of electoral operations”, Onwuenwunor said.
“He was the one that was coordinating throughout the state. So all our documents for this charge have been tendered through him. We call him our star Witness because his evidence cuts across the entire counts; Count 1,2, 3 of the charge. And we are satisfied with his evidence.
“We can afford to close the case at this stage, but we intend to call more witnesses on the next date just to show the world that we are interested in the justice of this case. We want the world to see how our electoral process was sabotaged.”
