In
continuation of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Sitting in Asaba,
on Monday received two motions from the plaintiff, first to bring in additional
expert witnesses and secondly to subpoena INEC staff to testify on behalf of
the plaintiff. Ruling on both motions was reserved for Wednesday
26th.
The
tribunal then proceeded with the first expert witness from the plaintiff, Efe Duku,
who had been admitted to
the duck. He gave a brilliant account.
After cross-examination from the 1st to the 3rd respondents,
he was discharged from the duck, while the tribunal adjourned to Tuesday. On
resumption of the hearing on Tuesday the second expert witness of the
plaintiff, Lucky Ajos was admitted to
the duck.
He also gave a good account after cross-examination from the legal
team of all the respondents he was discharged from the duck and the tribunal
adjourned to Wednesday.
At
the resumption of the hearing on Wednesday, the tribunal ruled
on the earlier motions of the plaintiff.
The first application to bring additional evidence and expert
witnesses was dismissed because it was filled out of time. The second
application to call
INEC staff to testify was also dismissed. The tribunal then stood down for one
hour. On resumption of the hearing, the plaintiff's
lawyer, Abdullateef Fagbemi moved for adjournment till Thursday to
enable his legal team to study the rulings.
Out
of apprehension
and desperation, Delta PDP and Sheriff Oborevwori’s supporters turned
wild with jubilation that Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege's case was
dismissed by the tribunal. Even their lawyers were not left out. It was so
shameful.
It
is likely that those who brainwashed their supporters and Deltans to believe
that Senator Omo-Agege's petition is inchoate or dead are hallucinating. Jokers,
that's all they are.
In
what way does the absence or non-acceptance of expert testimony necessarily
result in petition
death? Can
they tell us if that is a condition precedent to the success of a petition?
Even
if a party provides an expert, a tribunal is not stricto sensu bound
by it. The
petitioners have provided convincing non-expert evidence through the detailed
testimonies of the witnesses who have testified on their behalf.
During the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal
hearing on Thursday, the court accepted the application for the INEC witness to
testify, overruling the 2nd and 3rd respondents' objections.
Sheriff Oborevwori and PDP, therefore, suffered a major setback in the defence of
their stolen mandate as the tribunal
dismissed their opposition to INEC witness testimony.
So
unfortunate for them, the evidence, which they celebrated as rejected on
Wednesday was
accepted and presented by
INEC staff on Thursday.
The
INEC Director of Operations was admitted to testify.
Eight hundred and fifty-five polling unit results were tendered
for re-count. Meanwhile, about one hundred and seventy-five polling unit
results are missing according to the INEC
witness.
This
is the same tribunal the PDP illiterates and E-rats
claimed delivered judgment in their favour on Wednesday.
Definitely,
there are many ways to skin a rat. In
any case, we are talking about a petition that will definitely reach the
Supreme Court. Early
celebrations are a sign of overindulgence.
Obarisi
Ovie Omo-Agege will retrieve his stolen mandate from Sheriff Oborevwori and the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP), because he undoubtedly won the
governorship election clean and clear.
Omo-Agege
and APC are determined to fight
all the way to reclaim his mandate.
This is because the real valid votes scored by him in the election,
are more than enough to declare him as the governor-elect. INEC officials'
declared result is a ruse that cannot stand
litigation.
Impunity
stops when people know
there will always be consequences.
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