The Akwa Ibom state Governorship Election Tribunal today concluded hearing in the petition filed by Chief Usmana Okon Umana, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, against Governor Udom Emmanuel. The tribunal then adjourned proceedings till 8 October, for adoption of final written addresses by both respondents and  petitioners.

Governor Udom Emmanuel

Before it adjourned, the Justice Sadiq Umar panel asked the Peoples Democratic Party to cart away from its registry, its seven bags of Incident Forms, which it wanted to tender to explain the mind boggling gap between accredited voters captured by the card reader and the votes announced at the conclusion of polling on 11 April.

PDP, as the third respondent in the case never tendered the bags as evidence.

The chairman and other members of the tribunal stated further that since the forms are not exhibits, they are of no relevance and should be taken away.

Even though some of the witnesses who testified before the tribunal said that Incident Forms were used, the PDP surprisingly abandoned the seven bags of Incident Forms after causing a subpoena to be issued on INEC to bring same before the tribunal.

Umana had approached the tribunal challenging the conduct of the election and declaration of Udom Emmanuel as winner.

When the case was called on Thursday, lawyer to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alex Ejesieme, informed the tribunal that the commission will not present more witnesses other than the four they had called in their defence.

He formally announced that the third and forth respondents, INEC and the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State have closed their cases.

INEC was earlier expected to end its defence on Friday, September 18, 2015.

The commission had listed a total of about 100 witnesses, but closed her defence after calling just four witnesses. On Thursday, Mr. Ejesieme told the tribunal that the person he intended to call as their fifth witness “suddenly developed health problems.”

Lawyers to the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel, Messrs Tayo Oyetibo, and Mr. Paul Usoro, informed the tribunal that they have pending applications before it.

But the tribunal ruled that all pending applications should be taken along with the final addresses.

After deliberations, Justice Sadiq Umar directed that the respondents should file and serve their final written addresses on the petitioners within seven days beginning from Monday, September 21, 2015,while the petitioners should file and serve their final written addresses on the respondents within four days.

Also, the respondents are to file their reply on point of law to the petitioners addresses, if any, within three days of being served by the petitioners.