…Says he’s appealing criminal conviction by Appeal Court

By Harris Emanuel, Uyo

More revelations are coming out of the Elections Appeal Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, as the Governorship Candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan has told the court that his claims that Governor Umo Eno forged his certificate was not based on any interaction with any official of the West African Examinations Council or a forensic expert, but his personal observation of the duplicate copy of the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission by the 2nd respondent.

Besides, Sen Akpan announced that he was heading to the Apex Court to appeal the judgement of the Appeal Court in Calabar , Cross River State which upheld his conviction by the lower court.

At the resumed hearing of the petition by Senator Bassey Albert Akpan and his party, YPP against the election of Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, at the Governorship Elections Appeal Tribunal in Uyo, Sen Akpan who was the last witness of the petitioners admitted that the candidate examination number appearing on the certificate that the Governor presented to INEC was exactly the same as the candidate number in the result master list earlier presented by a representative of WAEC before the court.

Sen Akpan also confessed that despite his claims that the name Bassey Eno Umo on the 1981 WAEC result of Victory High School, Lagos did not belong to Pastor Umo Eno, he has not come across anyone who claims to have obtained the said 1981 WAEC certificate other than Pastor Umo Eno, the Governor of the State.

The YPP Governorship Candidate who was praying the Court to nullify the 2023 Governorship election and declare him as the winner, had told the court that he has never worked at WAEC, and that he was not competent to authenticate the genuineness of the certificate issued by WAEC.

On his allegation of disparity in name placement, the petitioner also admitted that he was not competent to know how names were placed on WAEC results.

Counsel to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Tayo Oyetibo , SAN however crossed examined the petitioner , Sen Akpan in the matter and the following dialogue ensured:

Counsel: “Who is Albert Bassey?”
“I am the one. “
“Who is Akpan Albert Bassey?”

Akpan: “It is my name. “

Counsel: “Who is Akpan Bassey Albert?”

Akpan: “My lord that is still my name.”

Counsel:“What is your first name?”

Akpan: “Albert is my first name.”

Counsel:“If you say that Albert is your first name, do you have a brother by name Ime Albert Akpan?”

Akpan: “He is not part of this case”.

Counsel: “Answer my question. I am your friend and I want to help you. Do you have an elder brother, Ime Albert Akpan?”

Akpan:”I have so many brothers.”

Counsel: “Please answer the question, do you have a brother by name Ime Albert Akpan?”

Akpan: “Yes I have a brother Ime.”

Counsel: “Mention his three names?”

Akpan:”My lord his name is Ime Akpan.”

Counsel:“You are a senator and you are under oath, I said mention his three names, I told you I am your friend and I am here to help you”

Anpan: “He is Ime Albert Akpan. “

Under a cross examination by INEC’s Counsel, Abdul Mohammed, SAN, Sen Akpan admitted he never went to any other polling unit and that he relied on the reports of his agents in the 4000 units in the State to conclude that the elections in 29 local government areas were fraught with irregularities.

He equally admitted that the analysis of his statistician were based on the figures his party gathered from INEC portal and his party agents.

The petitioner was given a report submitted by WAEC which indicated that Umo Bassey Eno was their candidate in 1981, but he objected, saying that the name was written as Bassey Eno Umo does not refer to Pastor Umo Bassey.

He was then presented with his own WAEC result of 1989 and his party membership card which he admitted as his , but however stirred laughter in the court when he said both names written as Akpan, Albert Bassey and Akpan, Bassey Albert refer to him.

The 2nd Respondent produced a document, the Appeal Court CTC copy of the judgement upholding the conviction of Sen Akpan, but the former federal lawmaker told the court that even though he has not read the judgement, but he has appealed against it at the Supreme Court

Addressing newsmen at the court premises, shortly after the day’s proceedings, Counsel to the petitioner, Tunde Falola, confirmed that the President of the Court of Appeal had rejected their petition for the Tribunal to be relocated to Abuja and expressed happiness that the proceedings went on peacefully.

Also speaking, Counsel to Governor Umo Eno, Paul Usoro (SAN) explained that opposing the petition to relocate the tribunal to Abuja was not because of uncertainty in the outcome of the case, but to oppose the position that the State was not peaceful.

“Whether in Zimbabwe or Tanzania, the case remains the same, but we wanted to tell them that Akwa Ibom is not one of the States that insecurity is an issue.

“Also, because we did not want to further delay the process of reaching a conclusion on the tribunal,” Paul Usoroh said.

Also speaking, the Counsel to the PDP, Tayo Oyetibo confirmed that the exhibit which Send Akpan admitted before the tribunal was the confirmation of his criminal conviction at the upper court.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned to Monday, 10th July, 2023, when the first, second and 3rd respondents, INEC, Governor Umo Eno and PDP are expected to open their defense on the petition by the YPP candidate.