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PDP to invite 100 witnesses to testify at tribunal as hearings enter critical stages
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says no fewer than 100 witnesses will testify for the party at the presidential election petition court in Abuja.
Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the PDP, is challenging the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu who emerged as the president-elect at the February 25 presidential election.
Addressing the court on Saturday, Chris Uche, counsel for Atiku Abubakar and the PDP, disclosed that all the parties met and agreed on the number of witnesses that would be presented and the duration during the hearing.
Former Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar accused the electoral umpire and Mr Tinubu of breaking statutory rules that regulated the conduct of the election.
Two additional petitions, one by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, leveled similar claims and called for a new election.
Mr Uche notes that lawyers to the opposition parties agreed the star witnesses for both the petitioners and respondents would have 30 minutes each to testify.
“We are proposing 30 minutes each for star witnesses, while we are proposing 15 minutes for each respondents for cross-examination and five minutes for re-examination.”
In his part, Mr Tinubu’s lawyer, Roland Otaru, a SAN, said his client would present 39 witnesses to defend his case at the tribunal.
He added that the President-elect’s legal team led by Wole Olanipekun would require “nine days” to prove its case.
“The report of any expert witness must be made available to other parties 48 hours before the calling of such witnesses.
“We also agreed that the schedule of documents to be filed by parties must be served on all parties before the calling of witnesses,” Mr Otaru told the court.
In his part, INEC’s lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, informed the court that the electoral umpire would call two witnesses.
The five-member court panel, led by Haruna Tsammani, adjourned the case to May 22 after hearing the suggestions for the substantive petition hearing.