By Okey Alozie
2019 Imo guber election tribunal witnessed an interesting scenario on Tuesday when the flag bearer of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Ifeanyi Araraume entered the witness box for his cross examination.
Ararume who appeared at the Tribunal with enough of evidences to challenge the conduct told the tribunal that all the documents that he brought were all authentic to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt that the March 9, 2019 Imo guber election did not follow due process of the law.
Senator Araraume who alleged widespread of irregularity during the cross examination proper said the election that produced Chief Emeka Ihedioha as Governor of Imo should be declared unacceptable. He therefore asked the tribunal to cancel and direct INEC to conduct a fresh election that will follow the due process of the law.
At the sitting on Tuesday, the tribunal admitted more documents tendered by the petitioner (Araraume) although council to the respondants (INEC and PDP) objected differing their reasons for doing so. The tribunal however admitted Araraume’s evidences notwithstanding the objection of the opposing lawyers.
Some of documents tendered at the tribunal include forms EC&A, EC&B, EC&C(summary of results of guber election 2019) Certified True Copy.
Araraume boldly defended all his evidence at the tribunal. Araraume who was poetic and dramatic during the cross examination revealed that the INEC legal officer signed all the Certified True Copies of the documents he tendered as evidence and this made the papers more authentic. Another question he answered from the respondents lawyers was over a document showing analysis of the result of the Imo governorship poll 2019 was generated. Araraume replied that it was done by an expert. He however added that the calculation involved was not a different arithmetic as to warrant doubt.
Speaking to Journalists after the tribunal adjourned to Thursday 25th of July 2019, Senator Araraume said the documents he tendered were certified by INEC. In his words “the 2019 Imo guber election was a shame, the total accredited voters from Aboh Mbaise was 22,000 and Emeka Ihedioha claim he got 64,000 votes. Result from Ideato was fraudulent. He also claimed that Imo voters were over 700,000 instead 570,000.
Ararume insisted that Ihedioha should come and prove how he got the votes.
Speaking further, Senator Araraume told PDP and Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s supporters not to jubilate until the legal battle is over.
