The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) has defended its declaration of Senator
Uche Ekwunife, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of
Anambra Central Senatorial district during the March 28, 2015 general elections
and urged the Justice Layai Abagana-led Election Petition Tribunal 1, sitting
in Awka, the Anambra state capital to affirm the declaration.
The Electoral
Oficer (EO) in charge of Idemili-North local
government, Mr. Christian Nzogbu
who testified on behalf of the Commission told the tribunal jurists yesterday
that even though there were alterations in the figure of the results of the
polls recorded in Form EC 8As in some polling units, the errors were later
corrected and the corrections counter signed by the Presiding officers, and
that after the total calculations, it was discovered that Ekwunife scored a
total of 93,860 votes to beat the candidate of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance 9APGA), Chief Victor Umeh who is contesting her victory.
The INEC witness
told the tribunal that the Anambra Central Senatorial Poll was conducted in
substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended).
He specifically
told the Tribunal Form EC 40A which he stated is the commission’s “information
form” is where the analysis of the results of election in each polling unit is
recorded, including the total number of registered voters, ballot papers
issued, accreditated voters, valid votes cast, invalid ballot papers used, and
that it is only when the total number of ballot papers used in the polling
units exceed the number of ballot papers issued that the result of the election
in that polling unit could be said to be fraudulent.
In her testimony
under cross examination by Umeh’s lawyer, Chief Patrick Igweto, a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Senator Ekwunife told the tribunal that she won the
Senatorial election clear and square.
Though she
admitted that the total number of votes cast in one of the polling units
exceeded the number of accredited voters by about 5 votes, such error she
argued was not substantial to nullify her victory in the poll.
Ekwunife who was
in the witness box for about two hours told the tribunal similar infractions in
some polling unit results unpon which the APGA candidate essentially predicated
his petition also occurred in about 60 other polling units within the
senatorial district, but, that the petitioner deliberately ignored such polling
units because he secured highest votes in them claiming that those polling
units he is complaining of infractions in, were where she scored higher votes
than he garnered.