Eno’s victory: Tribunal adjourns for YPP candidate to prove case

Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo has adjourned to Tuesday this week the continuation of the hearing of the suit brought by Young Progressives Party, YPP and its governorship candidate, Senator Bassey Albert, challenging the election of Pastor Umo Eno as Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The Chairman of the three-member panel led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye adjourned the matter after twelve hours of sitting yesterday, hearing five witnesses of the petitioners.

Among the witnesses were Elder Ufot Tobby Nkangude, a former State Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party who served as YPP Agent in the governorship election in Ikot Abasi, and Archbishop Andrew Uwanta, the Chairman of Senator Bassey Albert’s Campaign Organisation, who was the party’s agent in Etinan.

The other witnesses are, Mr Okpoyo John Etifit, a former Transition Committee Chairman of Urueffong Oruko Local Government who served as YPP agent there, Mr Emmanuel Nyong Uko, the YPP Collation Agent for Ibesikpo Asutan as well as Mr Uko Idiong, former Chairman of Ukanafun Local Government.

The witnesses, who were led in evidence by the counsel to the petitioners, Mr Tunde Falola adopted their statements on oath and tendered their party’s membership cards, alongside their permanent voter cards and certified true copies of election results sheets of different polling units in their Local Government Areas, which the Court admitted and marked as exhibits without objection.

The YPP agents admitted that they voted in their polling units and were cross-examined by Offiong Offiong, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is the counsel to the first respondent, INEC; Paul Usoro, SAN, Counsel to Governor Umo Eno, as well as Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, Counsel to PDP.

The Tribunal adjourned to Tuesday for the YPP governorship candidate, Senator Bassey Albert and two other witnesses, a statistician and a subpoenaed witness from the University of Uyo, to give evidence and conclude their case.