Federal lawmaker representing Cross River North senatorial district at the upper chamber of National Assembly, Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe yesterday in Càlabar tendered 1, 531 exhibits with 33 witnesses to the tribunal in an effort to defend his electoral victory of February 25, 2023 National Assembly election.
Jarigbe, who was represented by a team of lawyers led by a Càlabar-based constitutional lawyer, Mr Mba Ukweni (SAN), tendered certified true copies (CTCs) from INEC result viewing (IREV) portal, and hard copies of forms EC8A1 (result sheets) to put up a defense to the mandate given to Sen Jarigbe, his client.
In Suit No. EPT/CR/SEN/02/2023 of the Cross River State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice M. A. Sambo (chairman) and C. Akabua and J. Zululu (members), the tribunal admitted the tendered exhibits in evidence the authentic CTCs of the results from INEC.
In an interactive session with journalists at the tribunal holding at Mary Slessor Avenue Calabar, Counsel to Sen Jarigbe, Mr Ukweni said, “Initially we had over 500 constituents from the senatorial district lined up to testify but the tribunal has limited them to 33.
“We had over 500 witnesses but the tribunal said we should call a maximum of 33 witnesses but there are many people who are very anxious to testify.
“It took us time to persuade them that many of them are not on the list and they said they want to come and defend their mandate.”
Dispelling petitioners’ claims that results of the senatorial election won by Jarigbe Agom was manipulated in Jarigbe’s favour, Ukweni said, “There was no document they (petitioners) tendered to prove that the result was rigged.
“What they were merely trying to do was to tender declaration of the results, which is Form EC8E1, trying to show that names of other candidates who lost were not on the declaration of result list. And we will explain that in our final address.
“That form is meant to declare the winner of the election and not the person who lost. The election is a process, from the polling units to the wards, from the wards to the local government before you go to the senatorial collation,” he said.
