…Day-One was due to insecurity and labour protest, what stops defence witnesses from appearing at Day-Two?
…Hearing adjourned to Friday, Day-3, August 4, 2023 at 2pm, being last day of defence…
Thursday August 4 marked the 10th sitting at the Adamawa state governorship election petition tribunal, being the second day of the opening of defence by the Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as respondents, the defence witnesses were yet to appear.
Defence witnesses did not appear when the hearing started in the morning as scheduled. The defence counsel’s prayer for the tribunal to adjourn sitting to 2pm was granted, yet the witnesses would not appear.
The defence counsel prayed for the adjournment of the hearing to tomorrow, Friday August 4, 2023, it was granted.
Speaking to the media shortly after the adjournment, the counsel to the APC governorship candidate, Distinguished Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, a.k.a Binani as petitioner, revealed that:
The counsel to the respondent have “commenced their defence today. …But they have documents to tender, which they would have to be marked for their use in this case”.
He said that the documents were many; they were brought to be inspected and marked and that by tomorrow morning, “they would have finished inspection and marketing. That means by 2pm the hearing would continue.
When asked whether or not a day would be enough for the defence counsel to present their witnesses and exhibits, the Counsel to the petitioner said “that would be a question for the defence counsel to answer”.