Akpabio accused of presenting ‘hearsay evidence’ in tribunal

A socio-political group, Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, has accused Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of the state, of basing his burden of proof on hearsay evidence at the governorship election petition tribunal in Uyo, the state capital.

In a statement signed by Solomon Abasiekong, acting secretary of the group, said all witnesses presented by Akpabio at the tribunal have admitted to basing their depositions primarily on hearsay, not what they witnessed themselves.

The group expressed confidence that justice will prevail in the end,

The statement in full:

We have watched in bemused silence the comedy that is currently being acted by the immediate past senator that represented Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio and his caravan of comedians at the ongoing National Assembly Tribunal, holding in Uyo. As a former governor, who supritendented over the vast financial resources of Akwa Ibom State for eight years, he has the wherewithal to hire buses of comedians and claquers across the State to fill the tribunal venue for whatever purposes that may serve him.

However, Akpabio’s struggle with acting the role of a victim at court is nauseating and repugnant especially to those voters, electoral officials and the vast majority of Akwa Ibom people who are traumatized by the widely reported violence Akpabio perpetrated during the February 23 National Assembly election in Akwa Ibom North West. Those who were abducted, molested and maimed by Akpabio’s thugs in security uniform are seeking justice. As such, we will not allow him to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians with propaganda when the obvious facts are that:

1. Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio lost the 2019 Senatorial Election in Akwa Ibom North West to Senator Christopher Ekpenyong in 8 out of 10 Local Government Areas. He is only contesting the results of his own Local Government- Essien Udim, where the bogus results he produced are at variance with the official results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

2. The results produced by Akpabio for Essien Udim Local Government Area have total votes which exceed the figure of accredited voters by over 500 percent. Where in the entire sane world does this happen?

3. Akpabio claims his bogus results were collated at local government level, but he has failed to back them up with unit results, which should have formed the basis of the collation. It is clear that such results do not exist for units wherein election materials were seized by his political thugs after molestation and abduction of INEC officials. If such results existed, his agents from the various units would have since produced copies and presented same before the tribunal. They failed to do so because no such results exist.

4. Akpabio presented a video in court which was very instructive for what it failed to disclose. First, the video did not show the date and time the recording was made. Second, the video only showed Akpabio and his wife voting amidst fanfare. Third, there was no record of accreditation or anybody else voting. Fourth, at some point in the video, Akpabio wore a long sleeve shirt but voted with a short sleeve shirt- a clear indication that the undated video was doctored. Fifth, the video did not show where votes were counted and results announced and copies given to party agents – an indication that the election did not hold.

5. All witnesses presented by Akpabio at the tribunal – himself inclusive – have admitted to basing their depositions primarily on hearsays not what they witnessed themselves. They conveniently relied on secondary sources of information to testify about the conduct of elections in polling units yet they insist the imaginary results which they can not prove favoured Akpabio. Furthermore, from cross examination of Akpabio’s witnesses in court, over 85% of those Akpabio presented as party agents were actually impostors, their names are not on the list of INEC accredited party agents. One of them, Cletus UdoAkpan, admitted on oath that he was neither an accredited voter nor a witness to events of that fateful election.

6. During cross examination, Sen. Akpabio fell foul to the false information he gave on oath to a Federal High Court in Abuja, in his bid to secure an order to stop the presentation of certificate of return to Senator Chris Ekpenyong. In that affidavit, Akpabio claimed that he had 65,000 votes, which is clearly above the authentic 61,329 on INEC result sheet, which Akpabio now claims are his. The salient questions begging answers are: Is lying on oath no longer a punishable offence in Nigerian law? Where did Akpabio get that bogus figure he swore an affidavit for? Shouldn’t he be asked how he arrived at that bogus figure, when he won in only two LGAs out of 10?

7. While we sympathize with the out-gone senator for finding it difficult to manage his post-power stress (PPS), we advise him to seek medical attention rather than sink further into delusion by orchestrating the circus witnessed before, during and after tribunal sessions. He has completed the presentation of his witnesses and the facts have been established. As the tribunal reconvenes, he should spare the tribunal and reasonable citizens watching the proceedings his idiosyncrasies. They have had a belly full these past days and can not stand them any further. We think that if Akpabio’s claquers love him that much, they should be paying their fare to the tribunal not lending themselves for hire for a paltry N1,000 per sitting.

As a lawyer Senator Akpabio should conduct himself with decorum, and respects the court. Casting aspersions on individuals and disparaging INEC on pages of newspapers and on social media, on a matter that is before the tribunal is unbecoming of a lawyer who was well trained. Akpabio is not the only senator who failed a re-election. There is nothing special about his case. If others who failed their elections (many of whom are also at the tribunal), have conducted themselves with decorum and dignity, then Akpabio should be called to order. His puerile behaviour and antics must stop henceforth.

8. Akpabio should be advised to stop maligning the Akwa Ibom INEC REC, Barrister Mike Igini and bringing the institution of INEC to public ridicule. He is already in court and should adduce evidence to support the bogus results he produced for his Local Government Area after he failed the elections in 8 out of 10 LGAS. He should explain how he produced the results when there was no accreditation and voting in the polling units in question.

In the meantime, while watching with cautious calm the tribunal proceedings, we appeal to the legally elected senator representating Akwa Ibom North West, Senator Chris Ekpenyong, not to react in like manner to abuses and insults hurled at his person and office by Akpabio’s hirelings, because “two wrongs can not make a right.” We implore every stakeholder in the senatorial district to keep calm and allow the tribunal to continue in peace without further distractions, so that at the end justice will be done.