A source in INEC revealed that the whole drama is orchestrated by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, Austin Okojie in connivance with officials of the commission in Abuja in a bid to prevent the APC candidate from unravelling the massive fraud that he supervised during the widely condemned April 11 polls in the hope that it will jeopardize the case at the Tribunal.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja has defied a fresh order for inspection of materials allegedly used for the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State as directed by the Governorship Election Tribunal for the state sitting in Abuja despite the warnings issued by the Tribunal against further disobedience of its orders.
The Akwa Ibom State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Wednesday June 24, 2015 while ruling on an application by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umana Okon Umana who seeking the nullification of the sham April 11 election ordered INEC to move all election materials to Abuja following the relocation of the Tribunal from Uyo to Abuja over security concerns.
The three man panel of the Tribunal led by Justice Sadiq Umar granted the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Umana Okon Umana a fresh 14 days period to inspect and conduct forensic examination on the materials from Monday July 6 to July 21, 2015.
It would be recalled that on the 12th May, 2015, the Tribunal while sitting in Uyo had granted the request of Mr. Umana Umana to carry out forensic examination and inspection of all materials allegedly used during the election. However, efforts by lawyers and forensic experts engaged by Mr. Umana were deliberately thwarted by the corrupt INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Austin Okojie who blatantly refused to release the required materials and in some cases, the relevant officers of INEC in Uyo bluntly refused to cooperate, sometimes waiting to receive instructions from Mr. Uwemedimoh Nwoko the then Attorney General of the state who has been just been reappointed in compensation for his sabotaging role during the abortive inspection. Mr. Nwoko had mobilised thugs to disrupt the inspection exercise despite petitions against him to the Nigerian Bar Association and the police.
However, despite the movement of the materials from Uyo to Abuja, staffs of INEC in Abuja in connivance with the corrupt Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom, Austin Okojie and other officials of the commission in Uyo have again refused to cooperate with the APC candidate.
Except something drastic is done by the INEC leadership the fresh 14 days period for the inspection which started to run from Monday 6 July may end in futility without any inspection by the APC due to deliberate antics of INEC.
On Monday July 6 when the inspection should have commenced, the head of legal department of INEC in Abuja by name Mr. Bawa feigned ignorance of the order of the Tribunal and the movement of the materials from Uyo to Abuja despite that INEC was duly served with the order. Mr. Bawa shifted blame to the head of legal of the commission in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Uche Okorie who he claimed had dumped the materials in Abuja without informing them and that Okorie will be coming from Uyo to Abuja by road on Tuesday July 7.
As at 7pm on Wednesday, July 8 Mr. Okorie was no where to be found. To further worsen the situation, the legal team and forensic experts of the APC candidate have been informed by Mr. Bawa that even when Mr. Okorie arrives, the exercise will not take place without the presence the Electoral Officers who supervised the election in the 31 local government areas of the state as they are the ones to present the materials of their respective local government areas for inspection. However, there is no assurance on when the Electoral Officers will arrive Abuja from Uyo.
A source in INEC revealed that the whole drama is orchestrated by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, Austin Okojie in connivance with officials of the commission in Abuja in a bid to prevent the APC candidate from unravelling the massive fraud that he supervised during the widely condemned April 11 polls in the hope that it will jeopardize the case at the Tribunal.
The source further hinted that the PDP, former Governor Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel, the alleged winner of the election were very embarrassed by the outcome of the initial abortive inspection exercise in Uyo which revealed how the election was rigged carelessly as forensic experts discovered how ballot papers were thumb printed in booklets containing several single ballot papers without first detaching them in singles.
Sahara Reporters had exclusively reported on June 22, 2015 how the corrupt Akwa Ibom REC had mobilised people on a Sunday to detached the ballot papers in order to cover his tracks.
The initial inspection equally showed how the INEC had mutilated and lumped ballot papers of different polling units, wards and local governments contrary to INEC guidelines which prescribes that ballot papers of various polling stations, wards and local governments should be separately preserved after election.
Sahara Reporters has exclusively obtained some of the photographs taken during the abortive inspection exercise in Uyo which shows how ballot papers of different areas were stuffed into Ghana must go bags to sabotage the inspection exercise. The photos also shows how fraudulent thump printing in favour of the PDP were done in ballot papers booklets containing several single ballot papers without detaching them.
Reacting to the latest plot to undermine the petition at the Tribunal, an official of the APC in Akwa Ibom State expressed dismay over the latest attempt to frustrate the case of the APC by unscrupulous elements.
"This is another attempt to deny us access to the materials despite the fresh order by the Tribunal. Why are they afraid of inspection if they do not have anything to hide, the truth is that they are not ready to defend their so-called victory that is why they have been using delay tactics at the Tribunal". The party official stated.