The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate for Abia North senatorial district in the 2019 election, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, has so far called 39 witnesses in his petition challenging the election of Senator Orji Kalu (APC) for the senatorial district.
His counsel Mr Mike Onyeka disclosed this at the end of Tuesday’s proceedings in Panel II of the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia.
He said that the petitioner called eight witnesses Tuesday and had 10 more left to close his case.
He confirmed that the alleged missing exhibits, which forced the tribunal to adjourn last Tuesday, had been found intact and had been used for the purpose they were intended.
On his part, Kalu’s lead counsel, Mr Kelvin Nwufo (SAN), said that they were happy with the pieces of evidence by two of the petitioner’s witnesses which, he said, were in favour of the APC.
Also, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Kadizua Okoroafor, expressed confidence that the tribunal will help to ensure that justice was done in the petition.
Okoroafor said that it was not true that exhibits in the custody of the panel got missing last week.
He said that on the contrary, the exhibits were kept in a file which was not readily available at the time the petitioners counsel called for them.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned to Monday, July 29 for the petitioner to continue with his witnesses.
