As controversies continue to trail the victory of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress at the February 25, 2023 and now President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Labour Party (LP) says it will call 50 witnesses to testify at the presidential election petition tribunal.
Peter Obi, candidate of the LP, had filed a suit challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu at the presidential election.
According to the party’s counsel, Awa Kalu, who addressed the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) in Abuja on Saturday, the duration is because the forensic investigation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has yet to be carried out as directed by the court.
BVAS is an electronic device designed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to read permanent voter cards (PVCs) during elections for the verification of voters.
Secondly, Kalu said the petitioner is awaiting some documents requested for.
It was also agreed the star witnesses would need 30 minutes to demonstrate any electronic evidence.
That class of witnesses will be cross-examined for 20 minutes and five minutes will be for re-examination, while 10 minutes was allotted for other witnesses.
For the respondents, 20 minutes was allotted for the star witnesses and 30 minutes for cross-examination.
INEC said it had five witnesses set to testify in the Labour Party’s petition and proposed seven days to get it done.
The lead counsel of the commission, Abubakar Mahmoud, however, disagreed that there should be a separate time for demonstration of electronic evidence.
Roland Otaru, counsel to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, proposed nine days to call their witnesses, excluding expert witnesses.
The APC aligned with the submission of Tinubu and Shettima’s counsel, adding that it would be presenting seven witnesses for nine days.
Stay with IgbereTV, Africa’s number one online community TV
