As the April 26, governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State reserved today for the final adoption of written addresses by counsel to the petitioners and respondents, the tribunal was however inundated with evidence of massive irregularities that characterised the election.
Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru of the Democratic People’s Party(DPP) is challenging the declaration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the governorship election in Delta State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The six local government areas in which the petitioners are contesting the results of the election are, Warri North, Warri South,? Warri South West, Burutu, Bomadi, and Ethiope West, while Uduaghan is contending results in four councils which include Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu, and Ethiope East.
The tribunal which was earlier presided over by Justice Abisoye Ayo before her replacement with her deputy, Justice Joy Unwana, last week had admitted in evidence, unsigned, undated, unstamped as well as ballot papers marked rejected by the electoral officers in several wards in the six petitioner’s disputed councils.
It had also admitted in evidence, 799 ballot papers dated April 25th, 2011 used in unit 01 of ward 02, in Warri North.
Much of the alleged irregularities perpetuated at the election by the respondents were however laid bare by Chris Nwosu, head of operations, Delta State office of INEC who was on subpoena to
give evidence.
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The head of operations on request by the petitioner lead counsel, Mogbeyi Sagay, could not produce to the tribunal ballot papers used in ward 01 and 02 in Burutu local government as well as 106
units in eight wards of the council.
In Bomadi local government area, ballot papers used in over 60 units in 10 wards were not produced to the tribunal.
He listed communities benefitting from the programme to include Baurawa, Damari and Salimawa in Kusada local government, Kirijam,Kurmin Shakara and Ungwan Mallam Hajji in Dandume local government.
The general manager, who disclosed that 25 local government
areas are participating in the CSDP programme, noted that 19 local government areas had fulfilled all the conditions “and so are entitled to access the fund.”
Yaradua said Katsina State had no outstanding counterpart fund to contribute “as it became credit effective in March 2010,” and added that the 10 per cent contributions by communities had remained a challenge to the successful implementation of the programme.