…Hearing adjourned to September 12, 2023…
…Going through the victory road, facilitated by respondents’ hasty retreats: INEC, from 15 to zero defence witnesses. PDP, From 22 to zero witnesses. Fintiri, self-contradictions lone than many witnesses – Otunba of Ekiti
…25 minutes have saved forty eight hours three times. Counsel to the PDP could have sensed the devastation to have caused by cross-examining their star witness for 25 minutes – Otunba
The 12th sitting, which is the 4th day of the opening of defence, recorded another retreat as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, through her Counsel has canceled her Star and 21 other witnesses in her defence today, Saturday August 5, 2023. Today, Saturday, August 5, 2023.
The Counsel to the PDP prayed the tribunal to count the documents submitted by INEC as their exhibit. The Counsel to the petitioner, the APC governorship candidate, Distinguished Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, a.k.a Binani, generally believed to be the Governor-In-Waiting, however objected the prayer, arguing that PDP ought to tender her exhibits independent of the INEC.
The Counsel to PDP continued by saying they have 22 witnesses to call within the three days given to them. The first defence witness to call was Dr Aliyu Idi Hong,
The Counsel to Binani observed that since the first witness so called, was the Star witness, they ought to be given 25 minutes to cross-examine him. This, the Counsel to the PDP issued an objection, which was however overruled by the jury.
The tribunal explained that 25 minutes were given to each of the respondents to cross-examine the petitioner’s star witness but the Counsel to Fintiri and the PDP failed to exhaust their 25 minutes. It therefore holds ground that the Counsel to Binani be given 25 minutes to cross-examine the PDP’s star witness.
Considering the effect of the 25 minutes cross-examination, the Counsel to the PDP then issued a withdrawal of Aliyu Idi Hong and 21 others.
The tribunal has granted the PDP prayer for withdrawal of witnesses and closing of the defence before adjourning the hearing to September 12, 2023 for adoption of the proceedings.
Responding to the media shortly after the hearing, as usual, the lead Counsel to the petitioner, considered as the friend of the media, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi, SAN the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said, “Today, as before, went very well. You’ll remember that it’s the PDP, the third respondent that brought us here today; settling to call their witnesses, 22 witnesses.
“They said they were starting with their campaign director. We had arguments on how long we should be entitled to ask him questions, bearing in mind that his evidence would run over 200 pages…
“…He (the Counsel to the respondent) now found out that ‘look, If I had 25 minutes to deal with that witness, it’ll be devastating’. So, the safest thing for him is to say “okay, we’re not calling him again. And that’s what happened.
“They abandoned him (the witness) and it’s good for me, because I know how to deal with that in what is called the final address, which has been fixed for 12th September…”
Speaking with the Periscope Global, Alhaji Umar Mustapha Madawaki, a.k.a Otumba of Ekiti said “25 minutes have saved forty eight hours three times. Counsel to the PDP could have sensed the devastation to have caused by cross-examining their star witness for 25 minutes, they would have to move for a hasty retreat, thereby withdrawing their 22 witnesses to have been presented in three days. This is indeed an encouraging development”.