PEPC Judgement: Tribunal Rejects 10 Of Obi’s 13 Witnesses

Says the 10 witnesses were subpoenaed, and their statements filed after the hearing started

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has rejected 10 out of 13 witnesses presented by the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Justice Haruna Tsammani, while delivering judgment on the petition filed by Obi and LP, said on Wednesday that only three witnesses, whose statements are on oath, were filed along with the petition.

The remaining 10 witnesses, the Justice noted, were subpoenaed, and their witness statements on oath were only filed after the hearing started.

Tsammani stated that according to section 285 of the Nigerian constitution, section 137(7) of the Electoral Act 2022, and other provisions, every witness statement on oath must be filed along with the petition.

He said that based on the Supreme Court authority, once the 21-day window for filing an election petition elapses, the petition’s content cannot be amended.

Tsammani said the petitioners were aware of the legal provision relating to filing witness statements on oath, but disregarded this provision by presenting 10 witnesses without earlier filing their statements on oath with the petition.