Tribunal: Ogun APC closes case without witness … ‘It’s a costly gamble’, says PDP Counsel

As All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ogun State on Monday closed its case at the State Governorship Petition Tribunal, sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta without calling any witness, the lead Counsel to the Petitioners Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo has described the tactic as a “costly gamble”.

The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka that the April 11 governorship election was fraught with irregularities in 9 local councils and challenged the victory of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

Specifically, the Petitioners wanted the elections in the contentious local councils to be nullified and declare Isiaka, the winner of the election.

The first Respondent (Amosun) had on Friday closed its case calling only four out of 29 witnesses listed.

Counsel to the second Respondent, Mr George Oyeniyi at the resumption of the defence said, “We have critically looked at the petition on hand and considered all the evidences put forward by the first Respondent. We are comfortable with the account of the witnesses and hereby close our case”.

Speaking to journalists, Oyeniyi said “the onus of proving the case lies with the petitioners, we need not to call witnesses again when there are enough documents already admitted by the court to decide the case”.

Reacting to the failure of the second Respondents to present eleven witnesses as earlier told the court, Oyeyipo said, “We are not surprised that the second Respondent made a U-turn and did not call witnesses as he earlier told the court.

“May be they are protecting their witnesses from cross examination and preventing them from eliciting more facts and further make their case worse. It is a costly gamble on their part because we are satisfied with the evidences of our eight witnesses.

Oyeyipo who expressed optimism about the case said, “It is obvious that the testimonies of our witnesses are uncontestable. We listed 8 witnesses and they all corroborated our arguments that the election was not fair in those local councils and the Tribunal had accepted enough documents in evidence to substantiate our case”

The case is, however, adjourned till Tuesday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will call its witness.