The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has rejected 10 of the 13 witnesses produced by Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi.
On Wednesday, Justice Haruna Tsammani, who took over to deliver judgment on Obi and LP’s substantive petition, stated this.
Tsammani stated that Obi called 13 witnesses, who testified as PW1 through PW13, noting that only three witnesses’ statements under oath were presented with the petition.
According to the Justice, the remaining ten witnesses were subpoenaed and their sworn witness statements were only filed after the hearing began.
Tsammani ruled that, under section 285 of the Nigerian constitution, section 137(7) of the Electoral Act 2022, and other provisions, each witness testimony under oath must be filed with the petition.
According to the Supreme Court, once the 21-day window for filing an election petition expires, the petition’s content cannot be modified.
The Justice also stated that no additional statement on oath can be filed after the prescribed window has closed because the respondents will not have the opportunity to respond.
Tsammani stated that the petitioners were aware of the legal condition requiring the filing of witness statements under oath, but proceeded to present 10 witnesses without their witness statements under oath, which were previously filed with the petition.
