The Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on
Saturday refused an application for interrogatory filed by the Labour Party
against Governor Peter Mbah.
LP’s Barr Chijioke Edeoga filed the application seeking to
interrogate Mbah, the 2nd second defendant in the petition he filed before the
Tribunal.
The application was when the matter last came up on
Thursday, June 22, after which it was adjourned to June 24 for ruling.
While delivering its ruling today, Saturday, the three-man
panel, led by Justice K. M. Akano rejected Edeoga’s application.
The Tribunal held that the particulars the LP is seeking
could be obtained either during cross examination or through the petitioners
during evidence.
In the pre-hearing report, the
Tribunal gave the petitioners 7 days to prove their case, while the 1st
respondent, INEC, has 2 days to call their witnesses. The 2nd and 3rd
respondents were given 4 days each.
Addressing journalists after the Tribunal’s session, one of
the lead counsels to the LP, Barr Ifeanyi Ogenyi said the party is ready to
present its witnesses.
“The petition came up today for ruling and issuance of the
pre-hearing report.
“The ruling was in respect of application for
interrogatories brought by the petitioners, seeking for some answers from the
2nd respondent, Peter Mbah, that he should answer some questions regarding when
he was appointed as Chief of Staff, when he was appointed commissioner for
finance in Enugu State, when he was called to the NIgerian Bar and the
institutions he attended, based on his replies to the petition.
“But the court in its considered ruling this morning, stated
that those questions can be elicited during cross examination or through the
petitioner during evidence; therefore, the application for interrogatory was
refused by the court.
“Then, the report of the tribunal on the pre-hearing session
was delivered today, which has brought the pre-hearing session to a close.
“In their report, they outlined issues the parties raised,
both the petitioners and the respondents.”
The Tribunal adjourned the case to July 7 for trial.
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