A former Abia State Governor, Orji
Uzor Kalu, said on Wednesday that
the arrest and prosecution of scores
of alleged electoral offenders during
the rerun election in Abia North
Senatorial District has vindicated him.
Uzor Kalu, said on Wednesday that
the arrest and prosecution of scores
of alleged electoral offenders during
the rerun election in Abia North
Senatorial District has vindicated him.
Kalu, the candidate of the Progressive
Peoples Alliance in the March 5 rerun
election, said this during cross
examination at the State and National
Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal
in Umuahia.
The former governor was cross
examined by Dr/ Livy Uzoukwu (SAN),
Counsel to the Independent National
Electoral Commission.
He said the arrest and trial of many
electoral officers and hoodlums in
connection with alleged malpractices
during the rerun proved his allegation
that the exercise was marred by
massive irregularities.
He said the suspects were arrested
by different security agencies,
including personnel of the Department
of State Service and police, “who
investigated and charged the matter
to court”.
Kalu said: “My lords, I did not agree
with the INEC counsel that I did not
prove the allegations.
“How can I agree with you that I
failed to prove my allegations, when
hoodlums who helped to rig the
election against me were arrested and
currently facing trial.”
Kalu urged the tribunal to recompute
the results and void the figures, which
were “illegitimately” alloted to the
respondent, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa,
of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“Yes, votes won illegitimately by PDP
should be voided by the tribunal,” he
said under cross-examination by
Uzoukwu.
He further told the tribunal that some
polling units and wards results, which
were cancelled for reasons of
irregularities, “were later smuggled in”
during the final collation by suspected
INEC officials.
Kalu, who was also cross-examined
by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN),
Counsel to Ohuabunwa, said he did
not
join the PDP in his petition because
the Electoral Act did not stipulate so.
He also said his agents signed
results that were legitimate but
declined to sign the ones they
considered illegitimate.
Fielding questions from newsmen at
the end of the proceeding, Kalu
expressed the hope that the tribunal
would be diligent in deciding the
case.
Kalu, who was in the witness box
from about 9.30am, when the tribunal
commenced sitting, to about 4.45pm,
when the cross-examination ended,
said the development made him
uncomfortable.
The tribunal chairman, Justice James
Abundaga, adjourned further hearing
to Thursday.
Source: Today
