Abuja: Tribunal Grants CPC Leave To File Evidence

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has granted leave to Yakubu Adamu, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) House of Representatives candidate for AMAC/Bwari Constituency to file additional evidence to their original petition.

Adamu wants the tribunal to annul the election of Zaphaniah Jisalo (PDP) as the House of Representatives member representing AMAC/Bwari constituency of the FCT for non compliance with electoral laws.

Counsel to the petitioners, Ado Ma’aji, applied for extension of time to file additional list of witnesses’ statement on oath and list of documents.

Ma’aji submitted that the petitioners had clearly stated in their pre-hearing information sheet that they intended to file additional witnesses’ statement.

He urged the tribunal to grant the application, “for it to meet the justice of the case,’’ since the law required the petitioners to bring additional evidence.

Karina Tunyan (SAN), counsel to Jisalo urged the tribunal to strike out the application as the petitioners/applicants did not supply sufficient reason to support the application.

He also argued that granting the application would amount to allowing the petitioners to bring in new facts in breach of the provisions of the amended 2010 Electoral Act.

The tribunal ruled that the petitioners complied with the law by indicating intention to make the application during the pre-hearing session.

Justice Suleiman Yalwa, member of the panel, held that petitioners provided sufficient reasons to support their application.

He, therefore, granted the application, holding that “the petitioners ought to be allowed in the interest of justice for all the parties.’’

Ma’aji described the ruling as an advantage to the petitioner’s case.

“It adds a lot of value to our petition because the witness we are trying to bring is a witness that would tender information that we obtained during the inspection.

“This would definitely assist the petitioner’s matter because the witness is a very valid witness,’’ he said.

The tribunal adjourned the matter to today,  July 22 for continuation.