Governorship Candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan has told the Elections Appeal Petitions Tribunal sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital that his claims of forgery in the Examination Certificate of Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno was not based on any interaction with any official of the West African Examinations Council or a forensic expert, but his personal observation of the duplicate copy of the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission by the 2nd respondent.
Sen Akpan has also announced that he is appealing at the supreme court against the judgement of the Appeal Court in Calabar which upheld his conviction by the lower court.
At the resumed hearing of the petition by Senator Bassey Albert and his party, YPP against the election of Pastor Umo Eno, at the Governorship Elections Appeal Tribunal in Uyo, Albert who was the last witness of the petitioners admitted that the candidate examination number appearing on the certificate that the Governor presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is exactly the same as the candidate number in the result master list earlier presented by a representative of WAEC before the court.
Senator Akpan also confessed that despite his claims that the name Bassey Eno Umo on the 1981 WAEC result of Victory High School, did not belong to Pastor Umo Eno, he has not come across anybody who claims to have obtained the said 1981 West Africa Examinations Council, WAEC certificate other than Pastor Umo Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The YPP Governorship Candidate who is praying the Court to nullify the 2023 Governorship election and declare him as winner, had told the court that he has never worked in WAEC, and therefore he is not competent to authenticate which certificate issued by WAEC is genuine and the one’s that aren’t genuine.
On his allegation on the disparity in name placement, the petitioner also admitted that he wasn’t in a competent position to know how names are placed on WAEC results.
With Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, Counsel to the PDP-responded to this argument that Bassey Eno Umo of 1981, Victory High School, Lagos does not belong to Governor Umo Eno through a cross examination of the witness.
“Who is Albert Bassey?”
“I am the one. “
“Who is Akpan Albert Bassey?”
“It is my name. “
“Who is Akpan Bassey Albert?”
“My lord that is still my name.”
“What is your first name?”
“Albert is my first name.”
“If you say that Albert is your first name, do you have a brother by name Ime Albert Akpan?”
“He is not part of this case”, Senator Akpan answered.
To which Oyetibo roared, “Answer my question. I am your friend and I want to help you. Do you have an elder brother, Ime Albert Akpan?”
“I have so many brothers.”
“Please answer the question, do you have a brother by name Ime Albert Akpan?”
“Yes I have a brother Ime.”
“Mention his three names?”
“My lord his name is Ime Akpan.”
“You are a senator and you are under oath, I said mention his three names, I told you I am your friend and I am here to help you”
“He is Ime Albert Akpan,” Bassey Albert confessed.
Under Cross Examination by INEC Counsel Abdul Mohammed, SAN, Senator Bassey Albert admitted he never went to any other polling unit and was relying on the reports of his agents in the 4000 units of the State to conclude that the elections in 29 local government areas were fraught by irregularities.
He admitted that the analysis of his statistician are based on the figures his party got from the INEC portal and the figures from his party agents.
Under Cross Examination by INEC Counsel Abdul Mohammed, Senator Bassey Albert admits he never went to any other polling unit and relied on the reports of his agents in the 4000 units of the State to conclude that the elections in 29 local government areas were fraught by irregularities.
OBA tells the tribunal that the analysis of his statistician who was a subpoenaed witness, are based on the figures his party got from the INEC portal and the figures from his party agents.
Bassey Albert is given a report submitted by WAEC which indicates that Umo Bassey Eno was their candidate in 1981. But Bassey objects and says the name is written as Bassey Eno Umo and does not refer to Pastor Umo Bassey.
He was then presented with is own WAEC result of 1989 and his party membership card which he admits both belong to him. However he stirs laughter in the court when he said both names written as Akpan, Albert Bassey and Akpan, Bassey Albert refer to him.
The 2nd Respondent produces a document, the Appeal Court CTC copy of the judgement upholding the conviction of Bassey Albert.
Bassey Albert told the court he has not read the judgement but that he has appealed against it at the Supreme Court
Addressing newsmen at the court premises, shortly after the day’s proceedings, Counsel to the petitioner, Tunde Falola, confirmed that the President of the Court of Appeal had rejected their petition for the Tribunal to be relocated and expressed happiness that the proceedings went on peacefully.
Also speaking, Counsel to Governor Umo Eno, Paul Usoro (SAN) explained that opposing the petition to relocate the tribunal to Abuja was not because of uncertainty in the outcome of the case, but to oppose the position that the State was not peaceful.
“Whether in Zimbabwe or Tanzania, the case remains the same, but we wanted to tell them that Akwa Ibom is not one of the States that insecurity is an issue.
“Also, because we did not want to further delay the process of reaching a conclusion on the tribunal,” Paul Usoroh said.
Also speaking, the Counsel to the PDP, Tayo Oyetibo confirmed that the exhibit which Bassey Albert admitted before the tribunal was the confirmation of his criminal conviction at the upper court.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned to Monday, 10th July, 2023, when the first, second and 3rd respondents, INEC, Governor Umo Eno and PDP are expected to open their defense on the petition by the YPP candidate.
