Tribunal to Petitioners: Educate your witnesses to answer Questions

By Abdullahi Faruk Birnin Kebbi

Kebbi State Election Petition tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi cautioued petitioners counsel in the petition with suit number EFT/ KB/SEN/02/ 2023 filed by the immediate past Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and his party APC challenging the victory of senator Muhammadu Adamu Aliero of Peoples Democratic party (PDP) for Kebbi Central Senatorial District to educate their witnesses to answer questions during cross examination.

The tribunal chairman Honourable, Justice Margret Opara expressed worries over the witnesses of the said petitioners at on Wednesday the 21th of June sitting when witnesses are refusing to answer questions of Yes or No when they are cross examined by the respondants counsels. She also told witnesses to their hearing that” you most answer questions based on the witnesse deposition you adopted and some Exhibits you identified before the tribunal, she said”.

She further expressed that” you are in the tribunal as a witness and to give evidence in respect of witness deposition you deposed to in proving petition before us. Equally tribunal is not where witnesses can be harass or intimidated is where we respect witnesses but witnesses also need to respect tribunal rules and also the lawyers by responding to their questions, so please have confidence and relex to answer questions, she explained”.

In his response, counsel to petitioners counsel Barrister Kelechi Ogbonna apologize and assured tribunal that their witnesses will comply with all the rules of tribunal in answering cross examination questions from the respondants counsels. He immediately call the witness in the box to order and to ensure he answer all questions and obeyed tribunal rules while giving evidence.