Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The Action Democratic Party (ADP), Rivers State chapter has condemned the arm-twisting, financial inducement, harassment and intimidation of the party’s witnesses for the Governorship Election Tribunal by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and their agents.
This is as two witnesses in the suit instituted against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, its gubernatorial candidate, Nyesom Wike, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the ADP said they were paid by the party to lie to the tribunal.
The party in a statement issued in Port Harcourt stated that the actions of PDP and their agents were unbecoming of a responsible political party.
The party warned that if the reports continued to come in that they would have no other alternative to report the matter open to the Tribunal.
The statement urged them to desist from such action as only the truth would help the Tribunal to uphold justice, which would serve the best interest of the people of the State.
It further stated that it was appalling for counsels of INEC, Gov. Wike and the PDP to oppose producing the original press statements of INEC, which had been in the public domain since it would help unravel the truth.
The party wondered why the Tribunal did not direct substituted service in their sitting on Friday and urged it to expedite action to see that INEC was served as soon as possible as it has no time since it would conclude its case on Wednesday, July 17.
Meanwhile, the lawyer to Action Democratic Party Governorship candidate, Victor Fingesi, Dolapo Tella Attoni, Esq, had on Friday July 12 informed the Tribunal that the bailiff was finding it difficult to serve the subpoena on the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, Esq, on the reason that he was not available.
He urged the Tribunal to order for substituted Service to the witness either through the INEC’s Counsel, Dr Garba Tetengi, SAN, Newspaper publication in any of the National dailies or by pasting it on the gate of INEC in Abuja.
The Tribunal could not rule on that and adjourned till today.
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