Welcome to our comprehensive summary of the Proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) held on Thursday, June 15th, 2023. In this post, we will provide a brief overview of the day’s events, including the appearance of notable witnesses, objections raised by respondents, and the court’s decisions. Details as follows:
Proceedings Commencement and LP’s Evidence Presentation
The day’s proceedings commenced at approximately 9:40 am. The Legal Party (LP) presented a substantial collection of evidence and even brought two high-definition TVs to play videos. HE Peter Obi represented the petitioners, and LP’s counsel, led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu SAN, appeared before the tribunal.
LP’s Witnesses and Examination
LP’s proceedings were led by Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN (1st Witness) and PIN Ikwueto SAN (2nd Witness). The first witness to testify on Thursday was Professor Eric U. Ofoedu, a Mathematics professor from Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Respondents objected, citing late receipt of the witness’s statement. The court decided to examine him in chief but postponed the cross-examination until the following day at 9 am.
Witness’s Statement and Reports
During the examination in chief, respondents objected to the adoption of the witness’s statement. LP attempted to make corrections on the statement under oath, which faced objections from respondents. However, the court admitted the corrections. Three reports from the witness were presented, objected by respondents, admitted by the court, and tagged accordingly.
Blurred Polling Units Results and Subpoena
LP tendered 18,088 blurred polling unit results, which respondents opposed but were admitted by the court. Additionally, LP presented a letter of engagement and a subpoena from the second petitioner to the witness. While objections varied among the respondents, the court admitted both the letter and subpoena, tagging them as exhibits. The witness is scheduled for cross-examination on the following day.
Second Witness and Video Evidence
The second witness, Lumie Idevbie, a staff of Arise TV, was called up without objections to his subpoena. His ID card was presented without objections, admitted, and tagged by the court. A written statement on oath filed by the witness was objected by respondents but admitted by the court. A flash drive containing video evidence brought by the witness faced objections but was ultimately admitted by the court. The video, a 10-minute clip of INEC Chair Prof. Yakubu Mahmood speaking at Chatham House about elections and BVAS, was played without objections from the respondents.
Conclusion and Adjournment
The proceedings concluded around 12:49 pm, and the tribunal adjourned until the next day, Friday, June 16th, 2023, at 9 am.
