From the Plateau Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, Joe.

Useni tenders 49 more documents, presents five more witnesses.

• Security of Witnesses commands attention of tribunal.
• About two hundred documents admitted in evidence.

Sen Jeremiah T Useni further strengthened his Petition at the Plateau Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday July 11, 2019, by tendering a fresh set of forty-nine documents and calling five more witnesses.

The documents, admitted in evidence by tribunal Chairman , Hon Justice HA Saleeman, are made up of INEC duplicate and Certified True Copies of Statements of Result (Form EC8A) from Jos North, Shendam and Pankshin LGAs as well as Voters’ Registers for Jos North and Qua’an Pan Local Government Areas. Attached were also photocopies of payment receipts made to INEC to obtain the documents.

When Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, called the petitioners’ first witness for the day, Moses Azi Wakili, the combined team of Chief GS Pwul, SAN, and Mr Pius Akubo, SAN, (for APC and Simon Bako Lalong respectively) put up a spirited effort to deprive him from testifying based on a document they said he never mentioned in his Witness Statement.

This was stoutly resisted by Ozekhome, SAN, who said, “We have gone pass this stage. Such objections can be brought in their final addresses.”

Hon Justice Saleeman then announced that ruling is reserved for final judgement “so that the tribunal can move forward.”

With that, the witness repeated his allegation of over-voting in his polling unit in Jos East Local Government Area.

He explained that the original result of his polling unit is contained in the Pink Result Sheet and not the white copy that the Respondents’ counsel tried to compel him to read from.

Four more witnesses testified on what they had complained about as criminal over-voting in their respective polling units.

However, security concerns of petitioners’ witnesses engaged a good amount of time of the tribunal.

Ozekhome, SAN, said he was compelled to say it open court that his clients’ witnesses are being deliberately and systematically targeted and threatened to withdraw from testifying or go ahead and face “Instant death.”

“Some were told that if they must testify, then they should stay back in Jos after testifying and not return to their communities.“

Consequently, two of the seven witnesses (names supplied) scheduled to testify on Thursday changed their mind in the tribunal premises and left.

In his comment, Akubo, SAN, said “This is an issue of concern, because it borders on criminality. I suggest that it be reported to the police.”

And just before the tribunal adjourned proceedings for the day, Chief Ozekhome, SAN, dismissed the insinuation making the rounds in the tribunal and some media platforms that the petitioners were being “frivolous”, “distracted” and “wasting time”.

He insisted that “There is nothing like distraction in this case. Rather, we are still within our time, and we know that according to the rules of the tribunal, the day we do not present any witnesses, it counts against us.”

“We assure that we will conclude our case within the 14 days specified. We will not ask for any extension of time. With all due respect, I am 65 and have spent 38 years at the Bar – i cannot be frivolous! The team I am working with is made up of very credible legal experts – they cannot be regarded as unserious.”

Yiljap Abraham

Media Consultant
to
Sen Gen Jeremiah T Useni
July 11, 2019

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Plateau Guber Tribunal: Sen. Useni Tenders 49 More Documents, Presents Five More Witnesses