By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, began the defence of the outcome of the governorship election it conducted in Rivers State on April 11, 2015.

The commission opened its defence before the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja,  by producing one of the electoral officers that conducted the election, to testify before the court.

The witness, Mr. Ebikoru Tebekaemi, told the tribunal that he was the electoral officer that supervised the governorship poll at Obiakpor Local Government Area in Rivers State.

He told the tribunal that contrary to the evidence of witnesses that were produced by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, there was no incident of ballot snatching or multiple thump printing of ballot papers at Obio/Akpor.

Asked by counsel to the petitioners, Chief Akinolu Olujimi, SAN, if he was aware that there was widespread rigging and hijacking of electoral materials by armed thugs, the witness said he was not aware that such incident occurred.

He insisted that election was duly conducted in 15 out of 17 wards in the local government area, saying: “My lords, it was only at ward 12 and 13, which is Rumuigbo and Rumokuta, that election did not take place.”

Under cross examination by counsel to the petitioners, the witness said he was not also aware that people were seen at a football pitch thumb printing ballot papers in favour of Governor Nyesom Wike, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Besides, the witness told the tribunal that from his record, a total of 304,745 voters were accredited at the local government area, stressing, however, that only a total number of 40,481  voters were accredited with the card reader machines.

Meantime, the Justice Suleiman Ambrusa-led tribunal has adjourned till today to enable INEC to produce more witnesses.