Delta Tribunal: PDP witness fumbles, says he can’t read

A mild drama played out yesterday at the resumed hearing of the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, when Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), witness, Mr. Afarm Uzor, fumbled under cross examination by the petitioner’s counsel.

The Labour Party (LP) and its gubernatorial candidate Chief Great Ogboru, in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, are challenging the declaration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as the winner of the governorship election.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Counsel to PDP, Mr. Timothy Kehinde (SAN) represent by Mr. Ogunwumju Kehinde, had called Mr. Uzor, a PDP Ward Agent, for Ward 11, in Oshimili south, LGA, to testify that election where conducted free and fair in his ward as against the petitioners claim.

However, during cross examination by counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo, Mr Uzor who had earlier told the tribunal that he monitored election in his polling unit and other polling units in Ward 11 could not remember the name of the PDP agents in his unit.

When asked by Mr. Emukpoeruo, if he could read from the total figure from the card reader accreditation document which shows case of over voting in his unit, Mr. Uzor could read the total vote ascribed to PDP, but said he can’t read the accreditation figure causing uproar in the tribunal.

“Sir, the thing is that I can read, but am not here with my reading glasses, and I don’t know this document, so I can’t read what is in it sir…,” He stated.

Emukpoeruo, averred that from the INEC accreditation record before the tribunal in that there are cases of over voting in excess of the accredited voters units, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 13 and14 in Ward 11, Oshimili South, LGA.

PDP Counsel, Mr. Kehinde, however subtly closed their case without calling additional witness. The tribunal thereafter, adjourned till Friday, October 2^nd, 2015, for INEC to open and close their defence.