Electoral Fraud: Akwa Ibom Court Adjourns Prof’s Trial To December 14

Akwa Ibom State High Court 9, sitting in Uyo, has adjourned sitting in the trial of Professor Ignatius Uduk of the Department of Physical and Health Education, University of Uyo, to December 14, 2021.

Uduk was arraigned by the Independent National Electoral Commission on December 9, 2020, under charge no. HU/240c/2020 on a three-count charge bordering on the abandonment of duties and unlawful generation of false scores during the Essien Udim state Assembly elections in 2019.

The trial judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang, adjourned the case at the resumed trial on Thursday to seek direction on the pending ruling of the verbal objection raised by the Defence Counsel.

Justice Nkanang before the adjournment asked the defence and prosecution counsels to file all their arguments, and replies respectively for adoption and ruling on the next adjourned date.

The former trial judge, Justice Archibong, Archibong had adjourned for ruling on the objections raised by Mr Abasiodiong Ekpenyong, counsel to the accused person but before the adjourned date, the judge was elevated to a new court.

Ekpenyong had raised verbal objections bordering on the authority of Mr Clement Onwuenwunor, as a new counsel mandated to represent INEC in the case. Onwuenwunor replaced former INEC’s lead Counsel in the case, Kpoobari Sigalo.

The defence counsel, Ekpenyong had also objected to why Onwuenwunor should take over halfway into the case.