We have multiple signatures: APC witnesses
tell Plateau Tribunal.
By Dickson Gupiya
April 30, 2018
Hearing
continues Tuesday at the Plateau State Local Government Election Petition Trial
Tribunal in the case between Hon. Joshua Laven Ubandoma of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and Hon. Nanloh Amos Kparnum of the All Progressive
Congress (APC) all in Lantang North.
Ubandoma
had petitioned the tribunal challenging the declaration of Nanloh as the duly
elected Chairman of Lantang North Local Government Election in the October 10, 2018 Local Government
Elections conducted by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC).
The
petition was dismissed by the tribunal but the Appellant tribunal ordered that the lower tribunal to hear the petition on merit.
Few
weeks ago, Harrison N. Ugwuala, lead counsel to the petitioners closed his case and the
respondents (Hon. Nanloh Amos Kparnum, APC and PLASIEC) through their counsels opened their defence last
week and told the tribunal that they intended calling 35 witnesses. At the Tuesday
hearing, the respondents call 8 witnesses most of who told the tribunal that
they had multiple signatures and were also not trained as agents by their party
before assigning them such responsibility. Also, all the result sheets tendered
in evidence by the witnesses was signed only by them as agents of the APC despite
confirming to the tribunal that about eight other political parties took part
in the said election.
One
of the witnesses Venchan Ezekiel who is from Nyen Ward and also said to be the
only APC agent in the Ward told the tribunal that as an agent of the APC, he
signed the results sheet of the election conducted in the ward which has been
tendered and accepted by the tribunal as exhibit 108. According to the witness,
there was no other result that he knew to be authentic except exhibit 108 because,
it is the only result produced by PLASIEC the electoral umpire of the said
election.
However,
under cross-examination by Niri Darong, counsel to the petitioners, witness
told the tribunal that though he was an agent of the APC, he was not trained in
that capacity. Witness also told the tribunal that he had three different
signatures and made a specimen of the three signatures on a plain sheet as
required by counsel to the petitioners. Consequently, counsel to petitioners
sought to tender the signatures and there was no objection from counsels to the
respondents. The tribunal accepted the three specimen signatures by the witness
in evidence and marked exhibit 113.
The
witness confirmed to the tribunal that exhibit 108C (which he
claimed to be the authentic results produced by PLASIEC) had no serial numbers
of ballot papers given to the voters, serial number of used ballot papers and
serial number of returned ballot papers.
Another
witness Vinguon Vontau, a farmer who lives in Pishe Yashi told the tribunal
that he was also an APC agent in Pishe Ward and also collated result from
various polling units in the ward and confirmed exhibit 97 as the ward summary
result and exhibit 97 A-E as polling unit results. However, when witness was
asked to spell his name by the petitioner’s counsel, he did that but the name
spelt did not tally with the name in exhibit 97. Witness however, insisted that
he was not responsible for the mistake committed. He also confirmed to the
tribunal that he had multiple signatures. Counsel to the petitioners also asked
him to sign on a plain sheet the signatures including the one he appended on
exhibit 97 which he did and it was tendered and accepted in evidence by the
tribunal and marked exhibit 115.
Another
witness, Nanyah Sunday told the tribunal that he signed exhibit 102e
which is the result from a polling unit in Kwanpe. Counsel to the petitioners
asked him to read out the name on the exhibit 102E and that if he did,
he would realize that it does not rhyme with his name but witness said he could
not see the name clearly on the result sheet.
Dimfa
Ninfa is another witness who told the tribunal that he had two different
signatures. Ninfa who said he was the APC agent in Nyabit Nyambishiko
polling unit was asked by counsel to the petitioners to sign his different
signatures in a plain sheet, which he did and counsel also sought to tender
same as evidence and it was not objected by any of the respondents.
Consequently, the specimen of the witness was admitted in evidence by the
tribunal and marked exhibit 116.
Witness
also confirmed to the tribunal that though eight political parties contested
the said election, he was the only agent of the APC that signed exhibit 102F.
Hearing continues tomorrow.
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