The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for March 9, 2019, general elections in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Nsima Ekere has urged Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo to nullify March 9, 2019 governorship election which Governor Udom Emmanuel was declared the winner.
Ekere told the tribunal that the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State was marred with unprecedented irregularities, vote-buying, thuggery, violence, molestation of APC agents by PDP members, rigging and lack of accreditation of voters as required in electoral guidelines, adding that what happened on the day of election according to him was as a sham.
Obong Nsima Ekere made the call while giving his witness statement in the tribunal on the petition he filed by seeking the nullification of the March 9 governorship election.
According to Ekere, “Election is a process. My Lord, a house cannot stand without a foundation. Election commences with accreditation to declaration, if one misses, the process can’t be valid”.
When asked by the respondent’s counsel if he still wants election results in some areas he won to also be cancelled, Ekere replied: “I won in Essien Udim and other local government areas. But, having gone through election materials that INEC used in conducting the exercise and the processes, I have to abandon the results; I am calling for the nullification of the entire processes irrespective of the local government areas that I won. Doing so will enable the electoral umpire to conduct transparent, free and credible election in the state”.
Asked by counsel to the second respondent, Mr Tayo Oyetibo SAN, if he was in all the units in the state to monitor the election, Obong Nsima Ekere said, “I had agents in all units in the state. They brought reports to our party. I also had a situation room in Uyo and my village in lkot Abasi. I monitored the electoral processes in the situation room I set up before the election in my village in Ikot Abasi local government.
Obong Nsima Ekere testimony brought to end, testimonies from the petitioner’s counsel as the tribunal adjourned sitting to Monday, July 29, 2019, to commence hearing of testimonies from the first respondent counsel (Governor Udom Emmanuel) on the petition.
