TRIBUNAL STOPS ORAL EVIDENCE FROM MASARI'S WITNESSES

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Katsina, Aminu Bello Masari, yesterday lost his bid to have seven witnesses give oral evidence in support of his petition against Governor Ibrahim Shema.

The erstwhile lawmaker also had to close his case at the state governorship election petition tribunal.

Against the background of the rejection of the subpoena earlier issued to one of the seven subpoenaed witnesses, Luwan Nayahaya, the counsel to Masari, Uye Ogedegbe, could not tender the subpoena for the other six witnesses because they were governed by the same conditions.

Consequently, Ogedegbe applied for two hour stand down to regularize the application and served the court processes on the counsel to Governor Shema, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other respondents to the petition who were in the court.

In his objection, on behalf of the counsel to all the respondents, counsel to the governor, Ifedayo Adedipe, argued that the application would bring about an abuse of 'the liberality of the tribunal.' Adedipe urged the tribunal to reject the application of Masari's counsel for a stand down for about two hours and advised the lawyer to call his remaining witnesses or close the petitioner's case. But in his further submission, Ogedegbe pleaded that he was handicapped and he would have to close the case if he asked to proceed since other witnesses were not at the tribunal.

In rejecting the application for a stand down, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Florence Jombo-Ofo, said Ogedegbe's request lacked merit. The judge, therefore, directed INEC, which was the first respondent to the petition, to open its case, noting that Masari had been given an apple opportunity to present his case.