‘I was never detained’

 

Maj.-Gen. Airhiavbere (retd.)
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People’s Democratic Party’s candidate in the July 14 governorship election in Edo State, Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd.), at the resumed sitting of the Election Petitions Tribunal, on Thursday, denied being forced to retire from service.

Responding to Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s counsel, Chief Adeniyi Akintola’s statement on the matter, Airhiavbere said he retired meritoriously from service.

He said, “I retired meritoriously from the Nigerian Army after serving for 37 years instead of 35 – from boy soldier to officer. I also served as a diplomat for this country in Washington DC. I have never been detained or found wanting throughout my duties in the army.”

Admitting he failed to win his polling unit or local government at the poll, the petitioner said it was part of the reasons he was challenging Oshiomhole’s re-election.

Airhiavbere, in his evidence-in-chief, said although he was not present at the over 2,627 polling units in the state, he relied on what he was told by party agents from across the state.

Responding to a question from Ken Mozia (SAN), counsel for the second respondent (Action Congress of Nigeria), Airhiavbere disagreed that documents presented by the first respondent, (Oshiomhole), from Ruskin College, Oxford University, from where he bagged a Diploma in Labour Studies and another from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, were certificates.

“They are mere documents,” he said.

Earlier, there was legal fireworks between counsel for the petitioner, Chief Efe Akpofure (SAN) and counsel for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents, Messers Niyi Aknitola (SAN), Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN) and E. R. Emukperhuo, on the admissibility of clippings from the Nigerian Tribune of July 12, 2012 and Western Regional Gazette and 1956 maps as exhibits.

 

Source:Punchng.com