The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will present witnesses numbering 100 to testify against President-elect, Bola Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Their lawyer, Chris Uche, told the court on Saturday morning that “the petitioners intend to call not more than 100 witnesses.”
He further revealed that he and the respondents have agreed on the number of witnesses to take the stand as well as the minutes to be allotted to each witness.
“The parties have all met and considered and agreed on the witnesses and duration of the examination of witnesses and the examination in chief, cross-examination and re-examination and we have also agreed to streamline the number of witnesses as well as the duration of each party to call witnesses subject to ratification by the honorable court,” Mr Uche told the Court.
According to him, it was proposed that 30 minutes be allocated to the star witnesses of the respondents which include INEC, Mr Tinubu and his party, APC.
“We also proposed 30 mins for evidence in chief and 30 mins for cross-examination of the star witnesses for the respondents,” disclosed Mr Uche.
He added that the petitioners “are suggesting that there should be no cross-examination of a respondent witness by a respondent.”
Meanwhile, Haruna Simon Tsammani, the chair of the five-member panel of justices, adjourned the case to May 22, following Roland Otaru’s request to adjourn the matter for the consolidation of petitions from the Labour Party and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Mr Otaru, a lawyer on Mr Tinubu’s legal team, requested adjournment because of the absence of the team’s lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun.
The Court has scheduled Monday, May 22, for the ruling on the application to livestream proceedings.
Ban on phones, gadgets
A mild drama occurred when lawyers arrived at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) on Saturday morning to a notice pasted at the entrance of the courtroom prohibiting the use of phones and other electronic gadgets.
“Phones and other gadgets are not allowed in the courtroom,” the notice pasted on each of the three entrance doors of the hall read. “Thank you as you comply.”
When the doors were finally opened, lawyers became agitated when Josephine Ekperobe, the Secretary of the PEPT, called for compliance to the directive said later said was from above.
She withdrew later after the lawyers condemned the directive, but maintained that it shall be enforced on Monday, May 22, 2023.
