INEC to provide more witnesses against Prof Ignatius Uduk

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said besides its star witness, Mr Vincent Akpowene Oghene, Head of Electoral Operations, INEC headquarters in Uyo, the agency will present more witnesses that will testify against Prof Ignatius Uduk.

Prof. Uduk was accused of charges of announcing and publishing false election results, as well as lying under oath to which he testified, not guilty.

Trial on the case began last week after several delays due to technicalities, with the prosecution presenting its first witness.

Counsel to INEC, Mr Clement Onwuenwunor, made the disclosure after proceedings at the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting on Tuesday in Uyo, following the conclusion of cross-examination of the first prosecution witness (PW1).

“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.

“He was the one that was coordinating throughout the state. So all our documents for this charge has 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,” he stated.

Professor Uduk, a Professor of Physical and Health Education in the University of Uyo was the Collation/Returning officer for Essien Udim State Constituency in the 2019 general elections.

According to Mr Oghene (PWI), Prof. Uduk attested that the signatures on the documents which were admitted as evidence by the court last week belonged to the accused person.

He confirmed to the court that Uduk was the Collation/Returning officer for the Essien Udim State Constituency elections which the accused person admitted in two of the documents presented in court and marked as exhibits. 

“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 first Paragraph of page one,” PW 1 said.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang adjourned the case to Thursday, January 27, 2022, for the continuation of hearing.