OSUN ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL UPDATE. It was a dramatic turn of events at the tribunal today. The APC and INEC after a futile effort to use the striking judicial workers to disrupt the tribunal proceedings abruptly closed their cases in a manner that surprised everybody including the Chairman and members of the tribunal. Earlier in the chamber of the Presiding Judge- Elizabeth Ekpejime met all the learned counsels including those of the petitioner and the respondents during which time they agreed that time was not on their side in this case. Consequently,th ey all agreed that tribunal proceedings be commenced in earnest. The Judge, however advised the Lawyers to make adequate provisions for interpretations in the cases of witnesses who may not be good at expressing themselves in good English Language. Reason for this is not unconnected with the absence of the interpreter who incidentally is one of the judicial workers on strike. Responding, both the APC and INEC s Lawyers respectively assured the Judges that their witnesses are capable. The big surprise came when the tribunal resumed and rather than call witnesses for leading in evidence as expected, the INECs Lawyer sought to tender and so tendered 5 Certified True Copy documents. The tribunal accepted them. LOBATAN ! No witnesses,not even one. The APCs counsel also capped the drama with his premature closure of his defence without calling any witnesses nor citing any reason too. The tribunal Chairman couldnt hide her disappointment as she said, why do you people bother us to come here today when you know you had no witnesses to call? But I think you told me during our discussion in the chambers that your witnesses are outside? You should have simply closed your cases before we went on Christmas and New Year s break. And that was it,the tribunal adjourned till 28th of January,2015 when Written Addresses shall be taken and date will be given for judgement. My Comment: The INEC pulled a clever one there. Should they try to risk calling any witnesses today they would have served into the waiting hands of the petitioners counsel. Expectedly,some of their witnesses were supposed to be NYSC members. But since those they used for the election were OYES members and as alleged by Omisore in his petition they dare not, otherwise yawa go gas during cross examination. The same for the APC, the overwhelming evidences against them and the lacklustre performances of their witnesses before the tribunal went on break is something else. I dey come !
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 21:35:14 +0000
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