The governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital has admitted in evidence documents tendered by Barr Kenneth Gbagi, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), in the last election.
The admissibility of the documents tendered by the counsel to Gbagi, Mr Magaji Mato Ibrahim (SAN) by the tribunal on Saturday threw the counsels to the opponents off balance.
Ibrahim told the three-man panel led by Justice C.H Ahuchaogu, that the election which produced the Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP), governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, as governor of the state, was characterised by irregularities, electoral malpractices and non-compliance to the 2022 Electoral Act, among others.
Justice Ahuchaogu, told the counsels that in as much they have allowed the documents to be tendered from the bar, their actions implies that they have given their consent for the documents to be tendered.
He however told them that they have the opportunity to object in their final written addresses as earlier said by them.
After much argument from the counsels, which bowed to the superior argument of lbrahim, Justice Ahuchaogu ruled that the petitioners even in a situation where the documents are formally admitted would still need to prove or establish the substance of such documents.
Granting lbrahim’s application to tender the documents, Justice Ahuchaogu, said: “We grant the application for the counsel to tender such documents.”
However, having made failed attempts to object to the evidences, counsels to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th respondents said they would canvass the reasons for their objections in their final written addresses.
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