By Abasi Ita, Calabar
In what appears to be a major blow to former Governor of Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade who is wrestling the Cross River Senate seat with Senator Jarigbe at the Election Tribunal, kinsmen of the embattled politician have described the case as a demonstration of greed and self-delusion .
Speaking at separate interviews after witnessing the ongoing hearings in a petition instituted by Ayade seeking the nullification of the election that produced Senator Jarigbe, a prominent community leader from Obudu Chief Eddie Agba described the case as an “exercise in futility.”
He revealed that the defeat of Ayade at the polls was a protest vote from voters across party lines to demonstrate their grievances over the abysmal performance of Senator Ben Ayade while serving as a governor.
According to Chief Agba, we had thought that having left office and abandoned by his litany of sycophants who were goading him on during the egocentric voyage for their selfish reasons, he would have honourably withdrawn the case and allowed the young man whom we voted to concentrate, but it is shocking and embarrassing that he has opted to dwell in self-delusion in furtherance of his greedy intentions”
“The puzzle is what does Ayade want to do in Cross River North that he couldn’t achieve within his eight as Governor or the initial four years as a Senator?
“We have been waiting for him in the dilapidated Council of Chief Chambers in Obudu to come and give an account of his stewardship as his immediate constituency since he left office, but he has been avoiding the village. We are still waiting patiently.”
“He certainly has explanations to render over our ancestral farmlands and government property annexed and converted to personal use”
“Since the present government have chosen to play the Ostrich for political sagacity, the people of Cross River North are not politically docile”
Speaking in the same vein, Ukani Ogar said: “Our son, Agba Jalingo has been challenging Ayade to pinpoint any of his phantom projects or industries built with taxpayers’ monies and in the government’s name, that has been concluded and is now functional. It’s not enough to lie or weep on national television to deceive the gullible ones and weep up sentiments. Let Ayade take up the challenge from Agba and name one project that is running.”
“He should allow us to bemoan the wasted years he spent in the office with nothing to show in peace. Now Obudu people are treated with skepticism because of Ayade’s inglorious.
Meanwhile, lead counsel to Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe in the ongoing senatorial elections petition tribunal in Cross River, Mba Ukweni, SAN has stated that the former governor Ben Ayade has no case against the declaration of Senator Jarigbe by INEC as the winner of the February 25, National Assembly Election.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria disclosed this shortly after today’s proceeding in the case: suit number EPT/CR/SEN/02/2023.
Exchanging views with newsmen at the end of proceedings on Friday, Mba said” After hearing where the petitioners had so far called twelve witnesses, they have so far been able to prove that most of their statements were false”.
In his words, “We continued with the hearing and the petitioner still presented his witnesses. We Cross-examined the witnesses to show clearly that what they averred in their petitions and their statement on oath are false based on the documents they have tabled.
“They said there was over-voting and we confronted them with the BIVAS report showing that there was no over-voting, that the same number of votes the presiding officer recorded are the same number of votes carried in the BIVAS”
“We have not tendered one single report, exhibit, or document and are relying on their documents to show that based on their document, they have no case, that is precisely what we are doing”, he said.
However, Counsel to Senator Ben Ayade, and Professor Mike Ozekhome, SAN, opined that they presented their twelve witnesses who gave a good account of themselves and demonstrated the malpractices that took place during the elections.
“As of today, we have twelve major witnesses from polling units, LGAs, and collation agents that spoke beautifully and confidently.
“The evidence of the witnesses which runs through their pleadings indicate cases of multiple mutilations of votes, some erasures, over voting, BIVAS report, accreditation report, for not complying with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the guidelines issued by INEC itself,” he said.
He further added that” It is not the number of witnesses that you call that win the case but the quality of evidence of the witnesses, that’s what the Supreme Court said.
He stressed that “None of the witnesses was shaken under Cross-examination, they maintained their stories and even expatriated to show the anomalies that dogged the elections.
The hearing which takes place daily will continue by 10 am tomorrow and is expected to be presided over by Justice M. A. Sambo.