Tribunal: Labour Party Enlists 50 Witnesses, Plans Forensic Investigation Of BVAS
The Labour Party has said it will be calling 50 witnesses to testify against the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and will need seven weeks to get this done.
According to the party’s counsel, Awa Kalu, who addressed the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) in Abuja on Saturday, the duration is because the forensic investigation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has yet to be carried out as directed by the court.
BVAS is an electronic device designed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to read permanent voter cards (PVCs) during elections for the verification of voters.
Secondly, Kalu said the petitioner is awaiting some documents requested.
It was also agreed the star witnesses would need 30 minutes to demonstrate any electronic evidence.
That class of witnesses will be cross-examined for 20 minutes and five minutes will be for re-examination, while 10 minutes was allotted for other witnesses.
For the respondents, 20 minutes was allotted for the star witnesses and 30 minutes for cross-examination.
INEC said it had five witnesses set to testify in the Labour Party’s petition and proposed seven days to get it done.
The lead counsel of the commission, Abubakar Mahmoud, however, disagreed that there should be a separate time for the demonstration of electronic evidence.
Counsel to the President-elect and the Vice President-elect, Roland Otaru, proposed nine days to call their witnesses, excluding expert witnesses.
