Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-03-31 19:05:15
During the ongoing election petition tribunal in Abuja, a crucial revelation was made by the star witness of Governor Hope Uzodinma. Barrister Akolisa admitted that the votes received by the Governor surpassed the number of accredited voters. This revelation came to light before the Justice Oluyemi Osadebey-led panel on Friday. Akolisa pointed out that the votes documented for Governor Uzodinma in the Form EC8D result sheet from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were higher than the number of accredited voters listed in the certified Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) report. This inconsistency raised questions about the validity of the election results.
During the cross-examination, Akolisa emphasized that the number of voters in the result sheet should align with the accreditation in the BVAS. However, the significant disparity in numbers raised concerns about the accuracy and fairness of the election process. Additionally, the principal of Mgbidi High School, where Governor Uzodinma allegedly obtained his controversial WAEC result, took the stand to provide her testimony.
Lillian Ozoemena, the school official, displayed a rubber stamp as her only form of identification, claiming it to be the official stamp of Mgbidi High School. Despite this, she failed to present any concrete evidence supporting Uzodinma’s alleged attendance at the school. Under cross-examination by Sen. Anyanwu’s counsel, Mrs. Ozoemena admitted that she was not present in her official capacity, contradicting her witness statement. She also clarified that she was neither the Principal nor a teacher at Mgbidi High School in 1982, discrediting her attempt to authenticate the controversial document.
The tribunal has adjourned the case for the adoption of written addresses from both parties to April 24, 2024. INEC had previously declared Uzodinma as the winner of the governorship election with 540,308 votes, while his opponent Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP scored 71,503 votes. However, Anyanwu and the PDP have contested the election results, urging the tribunal to revoke the Certificate of Return issued to Governor Uzodinma and declare Anyanwu as the rightful Governor of Imo State.
Furthermore, they accused Uzodimma of submitting a forged WAEC certificate to INEC to qualify for the governorship election. This allegation is not new, as in 2013, Festus Keyamo filed a lawsuit against WAEC regarding an alleged certificate forgery by Uzodinma, who was a senator representing Imo West at the time. The inquiry revealed discrepancies in Uzodinma’s educational background and raised doubts about the authenticity of his qualifications.
In conclusion, the ongoing election petition tribunal in Abuja has shed light on various discrepancies surrounding Governor Hope Uzodinma’s election victory. The testimonies and evidence presented by witnesses have raised significant concerns about the electoral process and the validity of the results declared by INEC. The final decision of the tribunal on this matter will have far-reaching implications for the political landscape of Imo State.
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