Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate in the disputed February 25 election has tendered two video flash drives in evidence at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
The evidence was tendered a subpoenaed witness, Lucky Obowo-Isawode, a reporter and Editor from Channels Television, to prove his petition against President Bola Tinubu and was admitted by the court.
Mr. Obi and his Labour Party (LP) in the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023 are disputing the declaration of Bola Tinubu as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Apart from the INEC, other Respondents to the suit included President Tinubu, Vice president Kashim Shettima and their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the resumed hearing of the petition, counsel for the Petitioners, Livy Uzoukwu SAN, told the court, the proceeding would be conducted by Jubrin Okitepa SAN, and would require soft ware engineering.
The counsel informed the court that two subpoenas dated May 30 and June 6 were served on Channels Television to produce the video clips, containing an interview with the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and Mr. Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC.
The Respondents’ counsels, Kemi Pinhero SAN for INEC, Mr. Akin Olujimi SAN for President Tinubu and Vice President Shittema, Afolabi Fashanu SAN for APC, did not oppose the witness but objected to his adoption of his statement on oath.
Olujimi for the 2nd and 3rd Respondents objected to the adoption of his witness statement on oath because, according to him, it was against the provision of the Electoral Act.
Pinhero and Fashanu for APC aligned with the submission by Olujimi and urged the court to uphold the objection and refuse the adoption for void of merit.
However, Okitepa urged the court to overrule the objection, arguing that there was need to see the video, as no injury would be suffered.
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He told the court that the evidence the subpoenaed witness brought were Live interviews with INEC chairman and Mr. Festus Okoye.
The videos flash drives were tendered and admitted in evidence and the counsel prayed that it should be played.
Olujimi objected that it should not be played because the flash drive was not served on them.
He submitted that they did not know the contents of the flash drive and need to know in order to prepare themselves.
Again, Fashanu for APC aligned with Olujimi while Pinhero for INEC said the video could be played since it had been admitted in evidence.
The panel adjourned for the videos to be played and further hearing of the petition, on Saturday, where the video would be played.