Tanko Yunusa, the spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, has provided clarification regarding the limited number of witnesses testifying at the ongoing presidential election petition tribunal. Yunusa explained that the party was given a restricted timeframe by the court, which resulted in them presenting approximately 10 witnesses.
Initially, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, had announced his intention to bring forward 50 witnesses to support claims of election rigging against President Tinubu’s victory. However, on June 23, 2023, Obi concluded his case after presenting only 10 witnesses, a significantly smaller number than initially planned. This decision has faced criticism from certain sections of the public, particularly members of the ruling All Progressive Congress, who question Obi’s dedication and dismiss his legal team as lacking seriousness in their challenge.
In response to these concerns, Tanko clarified during an interview that all parties involved had agreed to limit the number of witnesses to a minimum of 10 in order to expedite proceedings. He confirmed that despite this agreement, some witnesses were unable to testify due to time constraints and unforeseen circumstances.
Tanko explained the reasoning behind the agreement, stating, “The agreement was based on the procedural relationship, with allocated time for defense, questioning, and cross-examination. Thirty minutes were allocated for presenting a witness, and 15 to 20 minutes were allocated for cross-examination.”
He further added, “The consensus among all the lawyers in court was to ensure that there would be no fewer than 10 witnesses. While the given time frame could accommodate 50 witnesses, the task could also be accomplished with 10 witnesses. It is even possible that INEC may choose not to present any witnesses or only have two witnesses.”
Tanko expressed satisfaction with their efforts to present all their witnesses but highlighted that some were unable to travel due to time constraints and the logistical challenges of coordinating with the remaining witnesses they intended to present.
When asked about his level of confidence in the process, he responded cautiously, stating, “I am hopeful. However, I don’t want to express unwavering confidence because our judicial system has seen both past events and future possibilities. Nevertheless, I have hope that the outcome will be favorable to the Nigerian people.”
