SUPPORTERS of the Labour Party (LP), Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN) and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday,
clashed outside the venue of the sitting of the Election Petition
Tribunal, leaving four people wounded.
This is coming, just as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed its case before the tribunal without calling any witness.
Counsel for the commission, Chief Gboyega Awomolo, told the tribunal that the commission would not be calling any witness to defend itself.
He told the tribunal, headed by Justice Andovar Kaka’an that the commission decided not to call any witness since the aspect of the petition concerned it had been struck out by the tribunal in its rulings February 4.
He said “the third respondent will not call any witness for some reasons. Number one, we have taken a critical review of the pleadings of parties and we have come to the conclusion that the key allegation against the third respondent relays to allegations tampering with the voters register used the voters 2012 governors election in the state.
“We have discovered that the tribunal had, by its ruling of February 4, struck out paragraph 32 to 35 of the petitioner’s petition, in which he complained of manipulation of voter register.
“Evidence derived under cross examination of witnesses will be relied upon and we will not call additional witness as they sufficient enough.”
Counsel for other parties, Tricky Tafa, of the first defendant, Olusegun Mimiko, Yusuf Ali of the LP and Wole Aina of the petitioner, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, however, did not object to the application of the commission.
However, following the commission decision of the court to rise for two hours to enable the defendants open their defence against the petition of the PDP’s candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, supporters of the three political parties at the tribunal clashed.
The fracas, which occurred infront of the state high court, venue of the sitting, saw the supporters of the parties engaging in free-for-all show.
Vehicular movement was disrupted for almost 30 minutes on the busy Hospital road, Azure, as the supporters freely used clubs and stones to fight.
The presence of men of the regular police drafted to provide security at the tribunal could not stop the fighting until a detachment of mobile police was drafted to douse the tension.
One person, whose party could not be immediately ascertained, was arrested in the mayhem by the mobile policemen.
Those injured in the clash were later taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
TRIBUNE
This is coming, just as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed its case before the tribunal without calling any witness.
Counsel for the commission, Chief Gboyega Awomolo, told the tribunal that the commission would not be calling any witness to defend itself.
He told the tribunal, headed by Justice Andovar Kaka’an that the commission decided not to call any witness since the aspect of the petition concerned it had been struck out by the tribunal in its rulings February 4.
He said “the third respondent will not call any witness for some reasons. Number one, we have taken a critical review of the pleadings of parties and we have come to the conclusion that the key allegation against the third respondent relays to allegations tampering with the voters register used the voters 2012 governors election in the state.
“We have discovered that the tribunal had, by its ruling of February 4, struck out paragraph 32 to 35 of the petitioner’s petition, in which he complained of manipulation of voter register.
“Evidence derived under cross examination of witnesses will be relied upon and we will not call additional witness as they sufficient enough.”
Counsel for other parties, Tricky Tafa, of the first defendant, Olusegun Mimiko, Yusuf Ali of the LP and Wole Aina of the petitioner, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, however, did not object to the application of the commission.
However, following the commission decision of the court to rise for two hours to enable the defendants open their defence against the petition of the PDP’s candidate, Chief Olusola Oke, supporters of the three political parties at the tribunal clashed.
The fracas, which occurred infront of the state high court, venue of the sitting, saw the supporters of the parties engaging in free-for-all show.
Vehicular movement was disrupted for almost 30 minutes on the busy Hospital road, Azure, as the supporters freely used clubs and stones to fight.
The presence of men of the regular police drafted to provide security at the tribunal could not stop the fighting until a detachment of mobile police was drafted to douse the tension.
One person, whose party could not be immediately ascertained, was arrested in the mayhem by the mobile policemen.
Those injured in the clash were later taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
TRIBUNE
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