TRIBUNAL: INTRIGUE TRAILS E’UDIM AKHA PETITION

The Returning Officer in the March 9, 2019 House of Assembly election conducted in Essien Udim, Professor, Ignatius Uduk, may be struggling to extricate himself from an alleged scandalous outing at the ongoing State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, holding in Uyo. 

Uduk, whose report allegedly written to INEC soon after election, sought outright cancellation of Essien Udim AKHA election, capitulated while giving testimony as subpoenaed witness for the petitioners, to claim that he announced the petitioner as winner.

Recall that the Essien Udim State Constituency election was cancelled by the electoral body following a report filed at the state INEC headquarters by some electoral officers including the Returning Officer, Prof. Ignatius Uduk, a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of Uyo on 10th March 2019. 

Uduk rather told the tribunal he witnessed a peaceful election and that he announced Nse Ntuen as the winner in a calm atmosphere, and not under duress.

In the earlier report personally written and signed by him (copy here attached), Prof. Uduk who reportedly escaped death in the hands of armed thugs in Essien Udim on the day of the election, had stated in the letter purportedly written by him that, “at about 6pm some Electoral Officers came in from the wards to complete the collation of results at the Local Government INEC office, and that at 10:45 PM, vehicles not less than 5 drove into the collation centre and immediately thugs unleashed violence on the electoral officers. 

According to him, he was compelled to collate the result that was smuggled in by the thugs from the opposition, APC in support of Nse Ntuen.

The Returning Officer who is alleged to have been influenced to contradict his earlier report while giving evidence in court, however from available documents already in public domain, the professor may have a tough time explaining the intriguing change of heart. 

Meanwhile, a copy of Professor Uduk’s handwritten report, dated March 9th, 2019 and lodged with INEC after he was forced to declare the result under duress reads:

“Resident Electoral Commissioner 

Uyo 

Aks

Sir, 

“A Report of the Events of the INEC office at Essien Udim on March 09–2019

“I was posted to Essien Udim as the R.O Constituency election. I reported to the E.O. at about 2pm. Towards 6pm some electoral officers came in from the wards to complete their collation. While there about 10.45pm vehicles not less than five drove into the HQ. My thinking suggested the return of electoral materials. Not long after there was general…

…were heard. 

“In the stampede, violence was unleashed on the electoral officers who had to escape for their safety. As a result it would not be unexpected that the sensitive materials were destroyed and mutilated such as ballot materials and result sheets. 

I was not spared as I also ran for my dear life. 

In the morning the electoral documents and records were to be compiled, arranged and submitted for endorsements. 

How that process was carried out raised doubts, questions and issues which the Collation Officers have different experiences and tales. A Proper assessment of the situation.”

 “However, I for my safety I was compelled to announce the result that was presented under duress……..

How figures were arrived at were not known or clear to me as I did not take part in the active collation process according to INEC directives. 

The above is for your information and necessary action, please. ”

Thank you” 

Yours Faithfully 

Ignatius E. Uduk (Prof)

Nevertheless, in a witness statement deposed by him at the tribunal, Prof. Uduk denied that he declared the first respondent (Nse Ntuen) winner under threat or duress, contradicting his earlier report six months earlier which had been documented.

Among other things which Prof Uduk deposed in an affidavit under oath and admitted before the tribunal, include: “I made the return of the 1st Respondent(Nse Ntuen) as the winner of the election under NO threat, compulsion, duress or inducement.
“That I state this facts (sic) conscientiously, believing same to be true in accordance with the Oaths Act.”

However, during cross-examination by Petitioners’ Counsel, Prof Uduk admitted on oath that he is not the person who collated the votes into the Local Government Collation sheet (Form EC 8C(1)which was tendered as Exhibit R101.
The form which Uduk claimed he signsd voluntarily, was however discovered to have been produced by one Dr. Nsikan Senam, who did the purported collation of ward results into the Local Government Collation sheet and not Prof. Uduk, the returning officer.

On cross examination, the university lecturer who is the immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, admitted that he did not know the exact number of poling units in Essien Udim State Constituency. 

Furthermore cross, Prof Uduk could not also ascertain the number of polling unit results that were collated into the final result sheet he signed, confessing that he was not the person that made the entries in the Local Government Collation sheet neither was he the person that made the entries in the final result sheet. 

He stated that he was only called upon to append his signature to the final declaration of result sheet after collation by the collation officer which he could not also mention.  

In an attempt to give credence to the claim of a free election, a video evidence marked Exhibit R. 138 was presented before the court.
The video showed a gathering where Prof. Ignatius Uduk was seen declaring Nse Ntuen as the winner of the election.
Unfortunately, the date on the display of the video exposed the sham, as it was clearly written on the screen of the viewing device that the recording took place on August 25,2019.