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Rivers governorship poll: PDP presents defense

By The Guardian
08 October 2015   |   3:29 pm
The Rivers State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday started the presentation of its defense to prove that its candidate, Nyesom Wike won the April 11 governorship election. Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Counsel to the PDP in Abuja started by tendering incident and oath of neutrality forms of all INEC officials who…

The Rivers State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday started the presentation of its defense to prove that its candidate, Nyesom Wike won the April 11 governorship election.

Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Counsel to the PDP in Abuja started by tendering incident and oath of neutrality forms of all INEC officials who participated in the election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident form is the form used when the card reader machine failed to recognise the fingerprint during the process of accreditation.

The party came to prove that manual accreditation actually took place, where the card reader could not perform its function. Adedipe told the tribunal that the incident form that was tendered was only for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

He told the tribunal that the oath of neutrality and affirmation forms tendered were for 18 local government areas in the state.
He mentioned the local government as Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Eleme, Gokana, Khana, Okirika, Ogu/Bolo, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Tai, and Ikwere.

Others are Abua/Odual, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Bonny, Ogba/Egbema, Ndoni and Oyigbo local government, respectively.

According Adedipe, the documents were tendered to fault the allegations by the state All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate for the election, Mr Dakuku Peterside neutrality form was not administered on.

Adedipe said that the forms were not administered on by the ad-hoc staff of the INEC, who conducted the election.

He added that the state APC had also alleged that the incident forms were not used during the governorship election, hence the need for the PDP to tender it and counter the APC allegation.

He said that the PDP was committed to assisting the tribunal to reach its decision through the relevant documents.

According to Adedipe, more documents will be tendered by the party on Friday, in addition to the witnesses it will be presenting to prove its case.

Reacting to the tendering of the documents, Counsel to the APC, Mr Akinlolu Olujimi (SAN), objected to the admissibility but stated that he would give his reasons at the final written addresses.

Meanwhile, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Suleiman Ambursa admitted all the documents and marked them as exhibits.

He adjourned sitting to Friday, Oct. 9.

6 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    People’s Dishonorable Partners [PDP] is defending the indefensible!

  • Author’s gravatar

    I am now convinced that the quality of law in Nigeria has drastically redused to a shameful level.Read what a so-called SAN told a tribunal….. that the oath of neutrality and affirmation forms tendered were for 18 local government areas in the state…..That the incident form that was tendered was only for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area…..that manual accreditation actually took place, where the card reader could not perform its function……..that the incident forms were not administered on by the ad-hoc staff of the INEC, who conducted the election.

    I am not a lawyer but I am ashamed of this presentation by our so called SAN.

    1. incident forms was used in one area but other areas not used at all.

    2. the oath of neutrality and affirmation forms tendered were for 18 local government areas in the state

    but others not…….Haba, what happened to incident form

    3. incident forms were not administered on by the ad-hoc staff of the INEC, who conducted the election .HABA !!!!!!.how come the oath of neutrality and affirmation forms tendered .who allowed it in the first incident

    *What I understand was that incident forms deployment was selective in Rivers state LGA areas.HABA !!!!!!!.

    *incident forms were not administered on by the ad-hoc staff of the INEC, who conducted the election.

    Another wuru wuru selective election process. So ad-hoc staff of the INEC decides which method to use in an election

    Our so called SAN did not even mention at all or even unaware of INEC instruction that ONLY Card machine should be used in all the states of the federation. Sorry my dear SAN.

    So far the tribunal have gotten what they want long ago and the source of rigged election in Rivers State………..that PDP cannot prove beyond reasonable doubts how accredited voters of 299,000 was dubiously falsified to 2million votes in favour of PDP

  • Author’s gravatar

    Political developments in Rivers state is becoming more and more interesting. Before the Tribunal sitting, I thought once the Tribunal starts sitting, going by the claims of D. Peterside on pages of newspapers, Wike will run into hiding. But as the Tribunal sitting continues, Peterside seems to be hiding away and talking less, while Wike is virtually everywhere and talking more. Is it that Peterside has been settled or he was just into propaganda before the Tribunal sitting. As an observer, the political development in Rivers State is surprising.