Buhari closes defence at tribunal after only 7 witnesses

...APC, INEC satisfied with position

President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, closed his defence in the petition filed by the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

Atiku and the PDP are seeking to upturn the declaration of Buhari as winner of the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

At the resumed hearing of the petition on Thursday, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), lead defence counsel, told the tribunal that they have

opted to end their defence after calling seven witnesses.

Although the tribunal headed by Justice Mohammed Garba allotted six days to the president to present his defence in the challenge to his qualification for the election and the general conduct of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari chose to spend only two days.

Olanipekun informed the tribunal that Buhari’s legal team had studied the hardwares, softwares, server and evidence of Atiku and PDP and decided that the defence must end there.

The senior lawyer said that the evidence adduced by Buhari and issues ventilated inside the court and not outside the court have made the legal team come to the conclusion that it was time to restrict the legal battle to the four corners of the court by those who are learned.

“We are satisfied with the evidence we have led. We are closing our defence for President Muhammadu Buhari as second respondents and we are ready to address the court on laws,” he said.

The All Progressives Congress ( APC) represented by Lateef Fagbemi ( SAN) in another dramatic turn announced that the party would also close its defence.

Fagbemi told the tribunal that having reviewed the position of the party in the petition and conduct of the election, there was no point in over-killing the matter. He thanked the tribunal for the patience.

The senior counsel disclosed that APC was satisfied with the cross examination of witnesses and other documents and evidence put forward by President Buhari to defend himself, adding that the party would not call any witness to open any defence.

Yunus Usman (SAN), lead counsel to INEC, did not object to the position canvassed by Buhari and APC.

Tribunal chairman, Justice Garba, while ruling on request made by parties in the matter, ordered the respondents to file their final address between Monday and Wednesday next week and the petitioners upon receipt of the address should have seven days to file their own to the three respondents.

Justice Garba also said that INEC, Buhari and APC should thereafter have two days to respond on point of law to issues that may be raised by Atiku and PDP and that filing and exchange of processes must come to an end on August 16, 2019.

The tribunal chairman fixed August 21, 2019 for all parties in the petition to adopt their final addresses after which judgment date will be fixed.