LABOUR PARTY'S WITNESS PLAN

Labour Party Assembles 50 Witnesses, Plans Comprehensive Investigation of BVAS

The Labour Party has announced its intention to summon 50 witnesses to testify against the victory of President-elect Bola Tinubu, and estimates that it will require a seven-week timeframe to accomplish this task. During the proceedings at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) in Abuja on Saturday, the party's counsel, Awa Kalu, explained that the prolonged duration is necessary due to the pending forensic investigation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), as directed by the court.

BVAS is an electronic device developed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for reading permanent voter cards (PVCs) during elections, specifically for verifying voters' identities.

Kalu also mentioned that the petitioner is currently awaiting certain requested documents. Moreover, it was agreed that the star witnesses would be allotted 30 minutes each to present any electronic evidence they possess. Following their testimony, these witnesses will undergo a 20-minute cross-examination and a five-minute re-examination, while other witnesses will have 10 minutes allocated for their testimony.

For the respondents, 20 minutes will be given to the star witnesses for their presentation, followed by a 30-minute cross-examination. INEC stated that it plans to present five witnesses in response to the Labour Party's petition and proposed completing their testimonies within seven days.

However, Abubakar Mahmoud, the lead counsel for the commission, expressed disagreement with the notion of allocating separate time specifically for the demonstration of electronic evidence. On the other hand, Roland Otaru, the counsel representing President-elect Bola Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, suggested a timeframe of nine days to call their witnesses, excluding expert witnesses.

The APC (All Progressives Congress) concurred with Tinubu and Shettima's counsel, stating their intention to present seven witnesses over the course of nine days.