TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt has chided the counsel representing the Action Democratic Party (ADP) Dolapo Tella-Attoni, for not conducting himself professionally during cross-examination of witnesses.
Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice J. A. Orjiakor, made the expression in the panel’s resolution, after resuming sitting from recess, describing the counsel’s approach during cross-examination, as confrontational and disrespectful.
Justice Orjiakor cautions the ADP counsel to be guided accordingly in his subsequent submissions and dismissed the objection made.
He stated: “Ordinarily, we would have awarded cost to the petitioner as requested by the second respondent for his confrontational and disrespectful attitude in the representation of his client’s case before the tribunal. But, we will not. He should be guided.”
Meanwhile, the INEC Collation Officer for Oyigbo Local Government Area (LGA), Dr. Jackson Nweke, has told the tribunal that election took place in the 10 wards in Oyigbo and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had agents at all the polling units.
Nweke said results were collated and announced at the collation centre, adding that he witnessed the process.
According to him, there was no trace of violence in his area on March 9, 2019, governorship election, and no report of such crime was brought to him by any of the agents deployed to the polling units.
He affirmed that INEC officials were present at the collation centre and the election was conducted in a peaceful and orderly environment in Oyigbo LGA.
Also, he said that he did not witness the hijacking of voting materials by youths or anyone in military uniform.
He told the tribunal that neither him, nor PDP agents, had agreement with INEC officials to doctor any of the EC8B and EC8C forms.
During cross-examination, the PDP collation officer said he left the collation centre, having noticing that his party had lost the election.