During the Akwa Ibom governorship election tribunal on Monday, some members of the Peoples Democratic Party, who were the party’s agents during the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state, admitted signing multiple result sheets while testifying before the state Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday.

One of the agents, Nicholas Andy, who served as the PDP agent in Ibiono-Ibom Local Government Area, contradicted the allegation saying that no agent of any political party, including that of the PDP signed the result sheets in three of the 11 wards of the local government.

The agents were testifying for Governor Udom Emmanuel of the PDP whose election is being challenged before the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate in the poll, Umana Umana.

Andy, while testifying on Monday denied the petitioners’ allegation that election only took place in two out of the 161 polling units in Ibiono-Ibom Local Government Area.

He admitted serving as the PDP agent for the local government and for Ikot Ikpo Ward 6 during the election.

When questioned by the petitioners’ lawyer, Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), the distance between the local government and ward collation agents was, he said he could not tell the distance in kilometres “but it is not far.”

He said the PDP had agents in all the wards in the local government.

But when the lawyer confronted him with the list of the agents for the wards in the local government, he admitted them as being on the list of approved agents but his name was not on the list.

But when showed the result sheets, he confirmed that no political agent including that of the PDP signed the result sheets of three out of the 11 wards in the local government.

Also, one of the PDP’s agents, Emmanuel Mbong, admitted signing the result sheet on behalf of the PDP at Eket Urban Ward 1 and Eket Urban Ward 3 as well for Eket Local Government Area.

Mbong said though he was the agent approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the PDP in Eket Local Government Area and Eket Urban Ward 1, he had to sign for the PDP in Eket Urban Ward 3, because the agent approved for that ward needed to rush his wife to the hospital.

“The agent for Ward 3, Chief Ekpe Ubong Udoh, called me on the phone when I was at the local government collation centre that he was indisposed because his wife was stooling and vomiting, so he had to rush her to the hospital,” Mbong said.

Also testifying, Obong Titus, who said the collation of results took place in all the polling units and wards of Etinan Local Government, confirmed that the PDP had agents in all the 11 wards in the local government but added that the result sheets of wards 1, 5 and 8 of Etinan LGA marked as Exhibit DDD 1, 5 and 8 were signed by,  Ibanga Udofia, when Akinlaja confronted him with documents.

Governor Emmanuel, represented by  Paul Usoro (SAN), has so far called 19 witnesses. The proceedings would continue Tuesday.