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BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

WITNESSES called by the third respondent, the APC in its defence in the petition filed by Pastor Ossgie Ize – Iyamu and his party, PDP challenging the declaration of Mr Godwin Obaseki of the APC as winner of the 28, September 2016 election , yesterday either expressed Ignorance or were totally confused about the conflicts in figures between the votes cast and the ballot papers used during the election.

All of them who were confronted with the conflicting figures on the INEC form EC8A or result sheets and the ballot papers INEC issued at the polling units during the election spoke in one voice.

Oladele Ebenezer, Malik Fatai, Francis Akpedi and Daniel Ogudo who were APC agents from Akoko-Edo, Etsako East and Esan west local government areas of the state, said they did know how the conflicts emerged despite admitting in their written depositions that all went well on Election day.

Under cross-examination by counsel to the petitioners, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Maliki Fatai, a businessman and politician from Igarra in Akoko-Edo LGA, using the INEC voters register, acknowledged that his name was only ticked to the left but not to the right.

On the figures, he said he did not know how the actual used ballot papers in his ward stood to 3, 894 while the total returned votes was 4, 161 with the balance ballot papers uncounted for.

Mr. Francis Akpedi, a public servant from Agenebode in Etsako East LGA, while being cross examined by Pinheiro that the actual used ballot papers in his ward stood at 29,901 with the total returned votes at 31,914, and a difference of 2013 ballot papers, told the court, “I don’t know”.

In the same vein, Daniel Ogudo, a businessman from Ekpoma in Esan West LGA, told the court under cross examination by Petitioners’s counsel that though he was the APC agent and was absent when the results of unit 5 ward 4 was entered into the form EC8A.

Chairman of the three member tribunal Justice Ahmed Badamasi after listening to a motion moved by the 3rd respondents for adjournment, fixed sitting of the the tribuanal till Wednesday, 15th of March 2017.

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