PAGE 2—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JANUARY 26, 2020 From left: Chairm<strong>an</strong>, Jak<strong>an</strong>de Kas<strong>an</strong> Hous<strong>in</strong>g Estate, Lekki, Eti Osa Community Development Association (CDA), Mr. Suleim<strong>an</strong> Kazeem, Industrial Sew<strong>in</strong>g Mach<strong>in</strong>e W<strong>in</strong>ner <strong>in</strong> Glo Recharge <strong>an</strong>d W<strong>in</strong> Big promo, Mr. Femi Salami Jimoh, <strong>an</strong>d Secretary of the CDA, Mr. Adebara Demola, at the Community Prize Presentation ceremony held at Jak<strong>an</strong>de Market, Lagos. Imo: <strong>How</strong> Supreme Court erred <strong>in</strong> computation of results *Declared more votes th<strong>an</strong> accredited voters *Failed to <strong>in</strong>terrogate petitioners’evidences *Avoided mention<strong>in</strong>g figures <strong>in</strong> written judgment By Oke Epia Facts have emerged that the Supreme Court failed to do a thorough mathematical computation of the results of the election but relied only on the wrong computations submitted by Sen. Hope Uzod<strong>in</strong>ma to declare him the duly-elected governor of Imo State. Our correspondents who obta<strong>in</strong>ed a copy of the certified-true-copy of the record of the appeal filed at the Supreme Court by Sen. Uzodunma <strong>an</strong>d the All Progressives Congress (APC), issued by Nw<strong>an</strong>a Ejike, Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Owerri, em<strong>an</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g from record orig<strong>in</strong>ally compiled by Ibrahim Garba, the Secretary of the Election Petition Tribunal <strong>in</strong> Owerri, there were obvious mathematical <strong>an</strong>d factual <strong>in</strong>consistencies which the apex court waved aside. It should be recalled that at the state’s Governorship Election Tribunal, Sen. Uzod<strong>in</strong>ma had from pages 9 to 27 of his petition drawn up table of votes allocation which he claimed were the figures obta<strong>in</strong>ed from the duplicate copies of Forms EC8A h<strong>an</strong>ded over to his party agents at the 388 poll<strong>in</strong>g units where he claimed results were excluded from the overall result of the election. From the table he compiled, there were 252,452 registered voters, who gave the APC 213,695 votes <strong>an</strong>d 1,903 to Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, the governorship c<strong>an</strong>didate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The table did not <strong>in</strong>dicate the total number of accredited voters, nor the number of <strong>in</strong>valid votes <strong>an</strong>d the votes allocated to the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g 68 c<strong>an</strong>didates that contested the election. <strong>How</strong>ever, <strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>alysis of the duplicate Forms EC8A tendered by PW54, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Rabiu Husse<strong>in</strong>, there were no fewer th<strong>an</strong> six poll<strong>in</strong>g units where more votes were recorded over the registered voters. For <strong>in</strong>st<strong>an</strong>ce, on figure number 69 which <strong>in</strong>dicated votes cast at Eziama/Okpala (Umualum Village Square, Eziama), the total registered voters <strong>was</strong> 492, whereas the table showed that the APC scored 819 votes <strong>an</strong>d PDP, 7 votes, giv<strong>in</strong>g a total of 334 votes more th<strong>an</strong> the registered voters, without <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the votes allegedly polled by the other c<strong>an</strong>didates at the election. Also, at page 22 of the petition on poll<strong>in</strong>g unit 282, the registered voters <strong>was</strong> 591, whereas the tabulation showed that APC polled 586 votes <strong>an</strong>d PDP 9 votes, with a total of 4 votes more th<strong>an</strong> the total registered voters, not <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g votes scored by the other c<strong>an</strong>didates. Similarly, at the same page 22 of the record, poll<strong>in</strong>g unit 285 (Obudi/Aro, Central Assembly Square, Unusable 11) with 449 registered voters, APC <strong>was</strong> credited with 780 votes <strong>an</strong>d PDP with 4 votes, provid<strong>in</strong>g a total of 335 votes above the actual total registered voters at the unit. In addition, figures obta<strong>in</strong>ed from page 79 of the record of appeal earlier stated <strong>an</strong>d under item 384, APC scored 526 votes, while PDP <strong>was</strong> credited with 2 votes with total votes cast totall<strong>in</strong>g 526, which is two votes above total registered voters <strong>in</strong> the area. Both the EPT <strong>an</strong>d the Appeal Court dismissed the petition for lack<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> merit But <strong>in</strong> a un<strong>an</strong>imous judgment delivered on 14th J<strong>an</strong>uary <strong>an</strong>d the 45-page written judgment read by Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunmbo Kekere-Ekun, the Supreme Court upturned the two lower courts’ decisions <strong>an</strong>d declared Sen. Uzod<strong>in</strong>ma <strong>an</strong>d the All Progressives Congress (APC) as duly-elected governor of Imo State. The court said that votes from the disputed 388 poll<strong>in</strong>g units were wrongly excluded from the scores ascribed to Sen. Uzod<strong>in</strong>ma, which <strong>was</strong> then added. By rely<strong>in</strong>g on the faulty tabulation made by Sen. Uzod<strong>in</strong>ma, the Supreme Court arrived at a figure of 950,952 total votes cast at the election, which is more th<strong>an</strong> the total votes cast at the election totall<strong>in</strong>g 823,743. This gave rise to 127,209 excess votes at the election as affirmed by the Supreme Court, which all through avoided mention<strong>in</strong>g figures regard<strong>in</strong>g the votes cast for the disput<strong>an</strong>ts or the total registered voters <strong>an</strong>d valid <strong>an</strong>d <strong>in</strong>valid votes <strong>in</strong> the judgment. <strong>How</strong>ever, <strong>in</strong> the second order made <strong>in</strong> the judgment, Justice Kekere-Ekun declared: “It is hereby ordered that the appelll<strong>an</strong>ts’ votes from the 388 poll<strong>in</strong>g units unlawfully excluded from the appell<strong>an</strong>ts’ score shall be added to the figure declared by the 3rd respondent (INEC)”.
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