Ogun tribunal finally admits PDP witness’ video as exhibits
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday ruled on the admissibility of a video evidence tendered by a star witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunkanmi Oyejide.
Lawyers on Wednesday had engaged in serious arguments when Oyejide tendered the video evidence in the petition filed by the PDP and it’s governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu.
Adebutu is challenging the March 18 governorship election that returned Governor Dapo Abiodun as the winner.
Having called over 90 regular witnesses, Chris Uche, counsel to the petitioners, called Oyejide, as one of his star witnesses.
While being led in evidence yesterday (Wednesday), Oyejide tendered some documents, including the video evidence, which the petitioners vehemently objected to.
Arguments ensued when the said star witness tendered a video evidence of thugs disrupting voting in some polling units in the state and document translating words in the video from Yoruba to English Language.
Remi Olatubora, counsel to INEC; Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, counsel to Abiodun and Onyechi Ikpeazu of the APC in their separate submissions had kicked against the video evidence, asking the tribunal not to admit same.
In his words, Olatubora described the documents as ‘cancerous’, saying the video is a hearsay and should not be admitted by the court.
He quoted Oyejide as having said that the videos were downloaded from Channels Television and Arise Television websites, saying the videos were not reliable.
Reacting, Uche said the tribunal needs to admit the document before it could determine whether it is hearsay or not.
The PDP lawyer maintained that the respondents ought to reserve their objections till final addresses as stated in the prehearing report.
He urged the court to discountenance the objections of the respondents and admit the video evidence, which was to be played in court.
The tribunal, after listening to the arguments of the petitioners and the respondents, reserved ruling till today.
As the court resumed on Thursday morning, the panel said the video evidence would be admitted as it found strength in the submissions of the petitioners.
The petitioners’ counsel prayed the court to allow the witness played video as demonstrative evidence in the court.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Hamidu Kunaza ruled that the video be played and the video was thereafter played in court as permitted by the Tribunal.
