An unusual scenario played out at the resumed Edo election tribunal on Friday when one of the petitioners’ witnesses, Osaretin Alexander Uzamah adopted and denied a document in the space of five minutes.
Uzamah had earlier provided some amusement for the court when he chose to take his oath not by the Bible or the Qur’an, but by a rod of iron.
Upon mounting the witness dock at the Edo High Court in Benin City, Uzamah indicated his interest in swearing his affirmation by the iron rod reserved for traditionalists.
His decision was greeted with laughter and surprise as people immediately drew up theories to explain such a choice.
While an excited observer opined, “He must be an herbalist”, another spectator declaimed in pidgin, “This one na juju man”, even as another suggested that “He must be an Ogun worshipper or traditional believer”.
Meanwhile, an unperturbed Uzamah of Egor quarters, who voted in Unit 3, Ward 4, went on to testify for the Peoples’ Democratic Party and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu freely.
Shortly after his testimony began, while he was still under oath, Uzamah adopted a document, exhibit PO 4 (14), form EC8 (b) – his ward collation result – as evidence.
Also agreeing that all the documents and the witness statement presented to him were in order and he had no desire to change anything before he was cross-examined, he deposited both.
However, in less than 5 minutes however, he had shot himself and the petitioners in the foot by not only denying the same document, but also denying knowledge of its existence.
Denying the evidence shorter than any cock could crow, he distanced himself from it like plague. This was as the respondents’ – All Progressives Congress (APC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Governor Godwin Obaseki – counsels cross-examined him.
Osaretin had been asked to confirm he signed the ward collation result – exhibit PO 4(14), form EC8 (b), but as soon as he was shown the document he said, “I have never seen this document before”.
He said, “On Election Day, it was what I witnessed I used in my deposition statement. I never relied on what my polling agents told me. I went round all the polling units in my ward. I was not in unit 9 all through but I visited the unit. I was also not stationed in unit 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8.”
