By Lateef Taiwo
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan, have told the gubernatorial election petition court (Tribunal) that they will call no fewer than 25 witnesses in their petition.
Counsel to the petitioners, Samuel Atung (SAN) disclosed this during the proceedings of the pre-hearing phase before the court’s three justices in Kaduna on Tuesday.
During the proceedings, he averred that 23 electoral officers were part of the witnesses to be presented before the court for examination- in-chief, cross-examination, and re-examination.
The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Victor Oviawe, after extensive deliberations alloted seven minutes to examination in-chief, 12 minutes to cross-examination, while three minutes were alloted to re-examination respectively.
However, counsels to the 1st respondent; Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhassan A. Umar (SAN), 2nd respondent; Gov. Uba Sani, Sunusi Musa (SAN) and that of the 3rd respondent; APC, Muh’d Sani Katu were at the court, as they all pleaded with the court for the service of an interpreters.
The court directed that all interlocutory applications be filed before the close of work on Wednesday ( tomorrow), saying that the court is time- bound.
Meanwhile, counsels in the matter adopted all answers documents filed, just as the court directed the PDP counsel to respond within four days upon service of application by the respondents’ counsels, while two days were alloted to respondents’ counsels to also respond.
The court adjourned the case till 15th June, 2023 for hearing of the matter.
