Voter register was not used in some polling units in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra South Senatorial election during the February 23 poll, a witness has told the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Awka.
Mr Bright Nebedum, who testified for Chief Chris Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his petition against Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah, said this at the resumed hearing of consolidated petition no. EPT/AN/SEN/11/2019 on Monday.
Nebedum, who was introduced by George Igbokwe SAN, counsel to Uba, said he worked as PDP local government agent for Orumba South, noting that there were issues in the result from the local government due to inconsistencies.
The witness, who had earlier identified smart card reader reports, voter register, ward and local government results he deposed to in his affidavit, said the election lacked substantial compliance.
Nebedum, who was cross examined by Obinna Adindu and John Asoluka counsels to INEC and Sen.Uba respectively, said most of the results were not signed by PDP agents and those that were signed must have been done by impostors.
He cited some of the polling units where Voter Register was not used by INEC to include Eziagu Ward 01, Eziagu Ward 05 and Eziagu before counsel to Ubah called him to order.
When asked how possible it was to generate card reader report from polling units where he claimed voter register was not used, Nebedum said that was why they were in court.
He alleged that people were authenticated via the card reader machine and allowed to vote without reference to Voter registers, adding that it was responsible for the non-tally of figures from the voter register, smart card reader and poll result.
Also testifying, Josephat Uzor, who said he worked as PDP agent in Nnewi South, told the tribunal that though he was not a professional statistician, he was involved in the preparation of chats in his depositions as he provided all the materials for it.
Uzor said he did consider all the political parties that took part in the election in his affidavit because most of them were relatively not known and irrelevant to his witness.
He was referred to some portions of his affidavit where APGA won in some wards and asked if he also had problems with those results, he said yes on the grounds that the results, Voter Register and Card Reader were inconsistent.
Also testifying, Mr Samuel Chukwu Anyakagu the PDP local government collation agent in Ihiala Local Government Area denied signing any result from the local government.
Anyakagu said unidentified thugs chased them away with weapons, including machetes and forced INEC officials to sign result, adding that there were no results in the polling unit where he voted.
“The thugs chased us out of the polling units with machetes and dangerous weapons, there was confusion in the unit.
“INEC officials signed those documents under duress because men came and held them hostage. I saw some signatures but they are not PDP agents that signed them,” he said.
Other witnesses that testified on Monday were PDP collation agent for Orumba North, Aguata and Ekwusigo.The six witnesses that testified brought the number of Uba’s witnesses to a total of 14.
Justice Thelma Okara, chairman of the tribunal adjourned the matter until Aug. 1 for petitioner to close his case.
