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| APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside |
By Ugo Aliogo
The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja will today continue hearing on the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Dakuku Peterside against the victory of Chief Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with more officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) testifying.
Before the tribunal adjourned last Wednesday due to the Eid-el-Kabir holiday, six witnesses from INEC had told the tribunal as the statutory agency that conducted the Marrch 28 and April 11 elections that elections held in the state contrary to the testimonies of the APC and others who testified earlier.
They said they all resorted to the use of manual accreditation when card reader machines failed.
The witnesses told the Justice Suleiman Ambrosa-led tribunal, during separate cross-examinations by counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Akinlolu Olujimi (SAN), that their resort to manual accreditation was endorsed by INEC during their training.
Ogechi Maryann-Anyanwu, the Presiding Officer for Tai Local Government Area of Rivers, said that the instruction was given to them during their training with INEC before the March 28 Presidential election.
“The training we had with INEC was before the Presidential election; there was no other training before the governorship election.
“We were asked to use the manual accreditation when the card reader cannot cope; this was what we used when the card reader machine started malfunctioning and we had enough accreditation.
“We were issued all election materials, including card reader machine, and the whole thing went on very well.’’
Jerry Ayawgh, the Assistant Presiding Officer for the same local government, also said that when the card reader in his own station started having problem, he contacted the Supervising Polling Officer (SPO), who gave him another one.
Ayawgh said when the card reader brought by the SPO started developing low battery and people were on queue for accreditation, he resorted to manual accreditation.
Ayawgh said when the card reader brought by the SPO started developing low battery and people were on queue for accreditation, he resorted to manual accreditation.
Another witness, Adeyemi Moses, the Presiding officer for Akukutoru Local Government Area, said that there was no incident of snatching of ballot papers in the polling units he supervised on the day of election.
“We had every material for the election; we started with card reader but along the line, we cut off when problems started.
“I was given 298 ballot papers by my supervisor and I carried out up to 300 accreditation. Everybody in my station voted for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“My polling unit had 30 agents, none of them made any complaint to me on any issue,’’ Moses said.
He said that he did not see any soldier on the day of the election, adding that he only saw personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and some police officers.
Another witness, Ameja Zeribu, the Officer for Bonny Local Government Area, also told the tribunal that there was no form of violence in the station he monitored.
Also, Onyuje Martins, the Officer for Onyigbo Local Government, said that the election was peaceful in the area he worked.
“We carried out up to 800 accreditations in my station and we did both card reader and manual accreditation,’’ Martins said.
Ifem Charles Chidozie, another Presiding Officer for Onyigbo, said he resorted to using manual accreditation because he had been instructed not to disenfranchise anybody.
“I was taught during training, not to disenfranchise anyone.
“Even when the card reader failed, I was given 1,000 ballot papers and I had up to 1,000 voting strength,’’ he said.
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