Kogi Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has adopted the prayer of the counsels to Barr. Natasha Akpoti of SDP, Senator Ahmed Ogembe of PDP and the three Respondents to the case suit No. EPT/KG/SEN/02/2019 by Natasha Akpoti and EPT/KG/SEN/08/2019 by Ogembe Salawu to provide witnesses for their cases.
While presenting his case, the lead Counsel to Barr. Natasha Akpoti of SDP, Barr. E. Oboriole pointed out that since the last adjournment, they have received several applications from the Respondents which he said they have responded to appropriately.
According to him, they don’t have pending application, explaining that they will file a fresh application on Monday.
Oboriole noted that about 147 witnesses were listed in his petition, adding that fifty of them will appear in subsequent hearings to bear witness.
However, the lead Counsel to Senator Ahmed Ogembe of PDP, Barr. David Adegbe with the case suit No. EPT/KG/SEN/08/2019 who is also challenging the election of Yakubu Oseni of APC pointed out that he will be presenting 109 witnesses in subsequent hearing to bear witness.
On the other hand, the Counsel to the INEC which is first Respondent explained that they don’t have pending application, adding that they intend calling four witnesses and certified true copy from the election umpire as an evidence in defense of their case.
Meanwhile, the lead counsels to Yakubu Oseni of APC, Barr. E.B Daudu who is the third respondent to the consolidated petition said they will provide 36 witnesses in suit No. EPT/KG/SEN/02/2019 filed by Natasha Akpoti of SDP and provide eight witnesses in suit No. EPT/KG/SEN/08/2019 filed by Salawu Ogembe of PDP.
The lead counsel for APC, Abdul Wahab Muhammed who is the second respondent to the consolidated petition said they intend to call seven witnesses to testify in suit No. EPT/KG/SEN/02/2019 by Barr. Natasha Akpoti of SDP and seven witnesses in suit No. EPT/KG/SEN/08/2019 by Salawu Ogembe of PDP in subsequent hearing.
In his ruling, the tribunal chairman ruled that “30 minutes will be allocated to the principal witnesses while 5 minutes will be given to other witnesses.”
According to him he will treat the petitions as one as the petitions had earlier being consolidated
The tribunal chairman further held that, “with the series of pending applications, the pre-hearing may not be concluded within the fourteen days stipulated and consequently extended further to not more than 30days, the court has been adjourned to 22nd May, 2019”, the chairman said.
It will he recalled that Barr. Natasha Akpoti of SDP had earlier petitioned Yakubu Oseni of APC, APC and INEC challenging the conduct of the election and praying to be declared winner of the election having scored the highest lawful votes.
