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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) that it was not going to call witnesses.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party had filed a joint petition against the electoral umpire, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the outcome of the February 23 polls.
The petitioners are seeking the nullification of the results on the ground of irregularities.
Having closed their case after calling 62 witnesses, the five-man tribunal, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, adjourned hearing till yesterday for INEC to open its defence.
Surprisingly however, counsel to INEC, Yunus Usman (SAN), informed the panel when he was called upon to open his case that it was not necessary for him to call witnesses.
He stated that the evidence extracted from petitioners’ witnesses during cross-examination were in support of the electoral body’s case.
His words: “We have painstakingly reviewed the evidence of petitioners’ witnesses. We have also painstakingly studied the petitioners’ evidence under cross-examination, which supported our defence and our denial in consonance with our pleadings.
“We do not see the need to waste your lordship’s precious time by repeating what their witnesses have repeated under cross-examination.
“In that circumstance, we would not be calling any witness to help them prove their case.
“We therefore rely on the evidence of their witnesses under cross-examination.”
In his response, Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), prayed the tribunal to allow him open his client’s case today at 2:00p.m.
But the attorney to APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), was not definite on whether the party would be calling witnesses, as according to him, the decision would be subject to the case presented by the president’s legal team.
Responding, counsel to the petitioners, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), lauded INEC’s decision.
He remarked: “I profusely thank my brother and friend for deciding not to call any witness.”
Consequently, the panel adjourned proceedings till today for Buhari to open his case.