The collation agent for Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in the April general election in Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia, Mr Ogwumnka Iheanacho, on Thursday admitted that he signed the result sheets for nine out of the 10 wards in the area. Iheanacho said this at the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, during his cross-examination by Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), Counsel for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April general election, Dr. Alex Otti.


He alleged that the local government collation agents for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and APGA also signed the result sheets on behalf of their ward collation agents. He said that it was decided that only the three of them should sign the ward results ‘’because the hall was very small and could accommodate the ward collation agents.

‘’The ward collation agents were not allowed to come into the hall because it was very small and to avoid congestion, only the three local government collation agents for PDP, APGA and APC were allowed to come in and sign,’’ he said.

Iheanacho further explained that collation agents of the other parties that participated in the election ‘’felt that their parties were not doing in the election and so did not sign.’’ He also told the tribunal that one Ngozi Aruru, who he described as the agent for the House of Assembly candidate in the election, signed the Ward 10 result sheet for PDP.

He said that Aruru had to sign because he (Iheanacho) did not arrive at the place early enough to sign.
Also speaking under cross-examination, the polling agent for Unit 1 in Ward 1 of Osisioma LGA, Mr Chigaemezu Ejiekpe, told the tribunal that the general and re-run elections took place in his area.
Ejiekpe also said that the accreditation of registered voters in the area was done with the Card Reader.
He however said that he was not the collation agent for PDP in Amavo Ward 1 as claimed by Iheanacho in his evidence.

Earlier in his evidence, the state Collation Agent for Otti in the election, Chief Ahamdi Nweke, told the tribunal how the re-run election, which was supposed to take place in Umunneochi, was cancelled.
Nweke, who was cross-examined by Chief Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), counsel for Ikpeazu, said that the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the re-run included Umunneochi.
He said, ‘’materials for the re-run were already supplied to the local government headquarters for the re-run but less than 24 hours to the supplementary poll, Umunneochi, which has 25 units, was removed from the list and replaced with one unit in Ngwa Ukwu ward in Isialangwa North Local Government Area.’’


He said that APGA participated ‘’partially’’ in the re-run in Ngwa Ukwu unit ‘’because the information that Umunnecochi had been replaced with just one unit came late.’