A mild drama pccured today at the Delta State National Assembly
Election Petition Tribunal when a witness presumed to be dead showed up
in court.
Christopher Anirah was subpoenaed by the tribunal to
give evidence an election petition matter between Hon. Gibson Ighofose
Akporehe of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Hon. Evelyn Omavowan
Oboro of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Counsel to the APC
candidate, Mr. Charles Umweni, had told the tribunal that the witness it
intends to call, (Anirah) cannot come to the tribunal to testify
because he was dead.
He told the tribunal that Anirah died of cardiac attack and cannot be subpoenaed to give evidence in the ongoing case.
But
at the resumed hearing of the matter, a middle aged man who claimed to
be Anirah stormed the tribunal and stepped into the witness box to give
evidence when the chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Adebukole
Banjoko called out the name.
Anirah’s appearance caused a stir in the audience, prompting Justice Banjoko to call for calm.
Akporehe of APC is challenging the election victory of Oboro in the National Assembly election held in the state.
Joined
in the suit are – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
Resident Electoral Commission (REC), PDP and eight others.
Anirah is Oboro’s star witness in the matter.
Anirah
, during a cross- examination, by respondents counsel , Mr. Onome
Egbon, told the tribunal that he was the rightful candidate of APC for
the Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State in the
2015 National Assembly election until his name was ‘fraudulently
substituted” with that of Akporehe on account that he (Anirah) was dead.
He
told the tribunal that Akporehe allegedly forged a death certificate
from a General Hospital that he (Anirah) died of cardiac failure and
hypertension, with which he deceived INEC to remove his name from the
list of contestants for the election.
He also told the tribunal
that somebody who posed as his family member was made to testify before
INEC that the death rumour was true.