Enugu State
Enugu Guber Tribunal: Edeoga loses application to interrogate Gov Mbah as pre-hearing ends
The Enugu Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Saturday refused an application for interrogation filed by the governorship candidate of Labour Party(LP), Chijioke Edeoga against Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Edeoga filed the application in the petition he filed before the tribunal seeking to interrogate Mbah, over the documents he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the governorship election.
The application was when the matter came up on Thursday after which it was adjourned to June 24 for ruling.
While delivering its ruling on Saturday, the three-man panel, led by Justice Kudirat Akano rejected Edeoga’s application and adjourned hearing till July 7.
The Tribunal held that the particulars Edeoga was seeking could be obtained either during cross examination or through the petitioners during evidence.While giving the report of the pre-trial, the tribunal gave the petitioners seven days to prove their case, while the INEC, has two days to call their witnesses with Mbah and his party, the PDP given four days each.
Addressing journalists after the Tribunal’s session, one of the counsels to the LP, Barr Ifeanyi Ogenyi said the party was ready to present its witnesses.
He said: “The petition came up today for ruling and issuance of the pre-hearing report.
“The ruling was in respect of application for interrogatories brought by the petitioners, seeking for some answers from the 2nd respondent, Peter Mbah, that he should answer some questions regarding when he was appointed as Chief of Staff, when he was appointed commissioner for finance in Enugu State, when he was called to the NIgerian Bar and the institutions he attended, based on his replies to the petition.
“But the court in its considered ruling this morning, stated that those questions can be elicited during cross examination or through the petitioner during evidence; therefore, the application for interrogatory was refused by the court.
“Then, the report of the tribunal on the pre-hearing session was delivered today, which has brought the pre-hearing session to a close. “In their report, they outlined issues the parties raised, both the petitioners and the respondents.”
