Hon. Iheananacho Obioma, who worked as the Director General of Alex Otti governorship campaign organisation during the 2023 election, has countered PDP’sa claim that the collation of Obingwa Local Government Area governorship election results was done outside Abia State.
Appearing on Thursday as the witness of Dr. Alex Otti (2nd respondent in the petition filled by the PDP),Obioma told election tribunal that the results of Obingwa LGA were collated in Abia State, however, calls by political parties agents including Labour Party for INEC to review the results which were being collated citing anomalies, led to the suspension of further collation of Obingwa LGA result. He told the tribunal that INEC paid heed to the protest of party agents and ordered the state collation officer and other staff of the electoral umpire involved to report to Abuja where the BVAS machines used for the Obingwa election were reviewed.
Obioma while being cross examined also deposed that the results uploaded on INEC’s IReV were valid and nnot fictitious, addidng that they were all uploaded at the polling units. Countering the witness’ statement, counsel to PDP, Chief Uche Ihediwa stated that no result was uploaded in 570 polling units. Responding, the witness said he was not aware of such and did not get such report.
Reacting to the original National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate of Dr. Alex Otti, tendered by Obioma before the ribunal, Ihediwa argued that Otti’s NYSC discharge certificate was not in existence as at the time he was screened to be Labour Party’s governorship candidate which made the respondent to tender the certificate “before the tribunal on Thursday (yesterday).
In his response, Obioma disagreed with the PDP’s counsel stating that the NYSC certificate was in existence but it was not in the 2nd respondent’s possession which is why he had the letter of reference from NYSC.
