Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt
A serving Assistant Commissioner of Police in Rivers Stare, ACP Victor Onugbo, on Tuesday, tendered a document before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, in Port Harcourt, authenticating the electoral victory of Governor Nyesom Wike in the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Onugbo, who is serving the force at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Port Harcourt, appeared before the Tribunal based on the court subpoena on the State Commissioner of Police.
Responding to questions from the AAC counsel, Henry Bello, as the party’s 3rd witness, the ACP told the Justice Kinsley Ojiako-led Tribunal that the document he presented was the incident reports of all that occurred during election, adding that the report was sealed by the Rivers State Police Command.
Onugbo also told the court that then Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Balel, signed the documents of the Results Sheets after the declaration of the winner of the March 9 governorship election.
READ ALSO: Lagos gov’s wife flags off free surgeries for 150 residents
Also responding to questions from Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Counsel for Governor Wike, on whether it was a practice in the police that certified copy of the documents were kept in the custody of the Command, Onugbo said all the documents were certified and kept with in care of the Officer in Charge of Legal Matters at the command.
He added that “all the activities of police whether during or after the election are under the jurisdiction of commissioner of police.”
Onugbo, who told the court that he was an observer during the election, also dismissed evidence that police was indicted in alleged election violence in the state.
Meanwhile, the AAC has closed its cross examination of its witnesses with appearance of the ACP in court.
The Tribunal adjourned till Wednesday for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to present its witnesses.
However, speaking with The Nigerian Xpress outside the courtroom, Counsel to the AAC, Henry Bello, noted that his client had closed his case with cross examination of the police officer who tendered evidence document before the Tribunal.
Bello’s words, “Is not the number of witnesses you call that is important but the materiality of the evidence given by the witnesses.
“I am an advocate for change of a lot of things concerning the conduct of the election litigation in Nigeria.
“Most of the things we do in election are basically documentary.
“When you have the results from the polling units, ward collations, Local Government collaboration, State collation in case of the governorship one we are doing here, it surprises for you to even establish your witnesses.
“It is my considered opinion that AAC as with these vital witnesses demonstrated a lot of things before the tribunal.
“We will await the decision of the tribunal on the points we have made before the tribunal.
READ ALSO: Lagos police arrests 2 notorious car snatchers, recovers van with bags of cannabis
“I had 1650 witnesses, I donated some of them to the 1st petitioner and they were able to call 20 out of the 500 we gave the them”.
On his part, Woyike Livingstone, one of the counsels for INEC said, “Today the court has heard evidence from the PW23 in the capacity of the Assistant Inspector General of Police who was subpoenaed to come and give evidence in this regard and he has given evidence to the effect that the report which he tendered as an exhibit which was marked as Exhibit X1 were report authenticating the victory of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“He has also given evidence to the effect that the report never in anyway indicted the security agencies or even INEC as an agency.
“And so today the 2nd Petitioner has closed their case and we optimistic by tomorrow when the tribunal reconvene, the INEC which is the commission which I represent will open their case for witnesses”.
Also speaking, Dike Udenna, one of the counsels representing the second Respondent, Governor Nyesom Wike, noted “The 2nd Petitioner, AAC , a political party, they have closed their case today after calling a total of three witnesses which has brought the total number of witnesses called by the petitioner to 23. So it is now for the 1st respondent (INEC) to open and conduct their own defence.”
