Two Star Witnesses testified In respect of Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Jos.
Trial of the Petition of Dr. Nentawe Yilwada,All Progressives Congress (APC) Versus Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang and People’s Democratic party (PDP),came up for the continuation of trial today,after the adjournment on Thursday.
The trial commence with the subpoene witnesses.
Emmanuel Macham,who said he is a farmer and resides in Hwolshe,Jos South Local government Area,
Before he was affirmed, the Lead Counsel to the first respondents. W.O Olajide,drew the attention of the tribunal to invoke section 206 of the evidence act against perjury.
Any witness summoned to give evidence in any proceeding,if he tell lies,will tried an if found guilty will be jail.
The Senior Counsel to the Petitioners, Professor Kayode Olatoke who takes the examination in chief,the witness said he is in court base on a subpoena served on him on the 30th of June,2023.
The process was stalled when the Lead Counsel to the second respondents,Pius Akubo SAN, notify the court that,Rt. Emmanuel Goar is in the court and he is the next witness to testify.
The tribunal immediately swung into action alongside the counsel to the Petitioners to search for Goar but found out that he was not inside the court room as was claimed.
The witness brought the following documents to the Tribunal.
PDP membership card with number 2045617.
Original receipt with the following number.002646
Photocopy of general receipt of PDP with number.0850,dated 25-2-2020.
Photocopy of PDP’s nomination form for party’s congress of Publicity Secretary.
Clearance Certificate with number 4101,all bearing his name, Emmanuel Macham.
The Petitioners applied for tendering of the documents,first and second respondents objected to the admissibility of the documents while the third respondents did not object.
The tribunal admitted the documents and marked them as exhibits X1X2X3 and X4.
The respondents requested the tribunal to add more minutes on their earlier 20 minutes earlier adopted at he pre-hearing report, looking at about 30 Pages statement of the witness,the tribunal then added five minutes each.
The fire works of cross Examination starts by the first respondents Counsel . Thus,can you recollect that,you contested against John Akans for the position of the Publicity Secretary of PDP? Yes and you loss,no.
I’m still I’m still an Aspirant.
To your knowledge,Akans was sworn in and is still the Publicity Secretary for the PDP. I’m not Aware,he responded.
The Counsel further post this question.
Will I be correct to say that you are not longer in PDP and John Akans is the publicity secretary, that’s not true.
You are aware that PDP repeated it’s congress on the Plateau? I heard it on radio.
And you didn’t participate? Yes,I was not invited.
On the 16-3-2023,you addressed the press as a spokesperson of J.T Useini Camp.
I can’t remember my Lords.
Are you the spoke person of Jeremiah Useini? Yes.
Will you be surprise to see the press release issued by you on the 16-3-2023? Yes.
When the exhibit was shown to him,he said my Lords yes this is it but it was doctored.
On the 26th of June 2023,you signed a letter to the PDP National Chairman Yes,that letter wrote is about what?
Macham,is to draw the attention of the National Headquarters of the vacancy to the PDP structure in the state and the need to conduct proper Congresses in Plateau state as ordered by the court. In our letter,we wrote the judgment numbers that nullified the party’s structure in Plateau state.
Counsel,are you aware of a federal high court Judgement that rectified the congresses?
The case between Augustine Tinkur Against INEC and others. Yes my Lords.
The witness was giving the judgement to read.
Said my Lords,the case I read was dismissed base on our preliminary objection.
Counsel of the second respondents ask the witness whether he has read the petition. No my Lords.
Since you didn’t read it,you don’t know the nature of the Petition, yes.
At paragraph 5 of your statement,you said that you are a plaintiff in suit No. PLD/304/J04/2021,is that the judgement in Exhibit G1? Yes.
Look at paragraphs 10,24,and 29 of your statement,you claimed that the order of Court is not obeyed by the PDP,do you still stand by that? Yes.
Since that judgement,has anybody have gone back to that same court to challenge PDP for contempt? No my Lords.
Will you be surprise to know that the Petition didn’t mention paragraphs 11,19 and 20 of your statement? I’m not aware.
Paragraphs 16 to 20,25 and 32 of your statement ,all the cases you refered to these paragraphs are in respect to the local government election in Plateau state? Yes.
Now,in paragraph one of your statement,you claimed to be the member of PDP,are you aware that PDP elected Caleb Mutfwang as candidate on 25-5-2022? I heard of it.
The third respondents started his cross Examination by reminding
him that you claimed to be the i member of PDP in your paragraph 2 of your statement. Are you aware that you’re not longer in PDP? I’m not aware.
A document was shown to him which is the letter of suspension written on the 1-11-2021. And you were suspended for anti party activities,I’m just hearing it from you for the first time.
When ask to read the content of the letter,the witness read it and replied other people also bears same name with him.
When last did you pay your dues? I paid last week,to who?
My Lords,I paid my dues to our acting ward chairman,we don’t have valid elected EXCOs in Daffo
You were the Candidate of publicity secretary of the party on the 25-9-2022 and loss the election to John Akans, that’s not true my Lords
and because you loss the election, that’s why you came to testify.
I was issued with the subpoena by the court to say the truth and all these I have been saying the truth. In All the cases you refered to,did any of them annulled the candidacy of the second respondents? No but the structure of the party.
But are you aware that primaries was conducted in 2022? I heard it on radio.
In your paragraphs 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,27 and 32 of your statement,you mentioned couple of cases,are you a party to any of those cases? I’m a party to one of the cases.
Said in paragraphs 6 and 7,
I’m the 5th plaintiff on case no. PLD/J304/2020 Bitrus Kaze Vs others.
Asked if he has a Facebook page and he said very busy one.
Have you ever congratulated the first Petitioner on your Facebook page? To the best of my knowledge,I’m not aware of that.
He was shown a document printed from his Facebook page him congratulating the first Petitioner as governor elect.
The document was tendered and was admitted as an exhibit.
The Second subpoen withnes, Rt . Hon. Emmanuel Goar, gave his testimonies after his affirmation, said he reside in Rayfield,Jos South LGA,I’m a retired civil servant.
He said he was at the tribunal to testify in respect of the Subpoena.
I brought four documents.
Appointment Letter by the National Working Committee of PDP as a member and publicity secretary of the Plateau state caretaker Committee dated 10-6-2021.
The second document is another letter from National Secretariat of PDP extending my tenure in office for forty days dated 19-8-2021.
Third is the PDP constitution as amended,2017
Forth is the guidelines for the conduct of ward,local,state,zonal congresses and National convention.
First Respondents examination,as a seasoned politician,did you challenge the nomination of Caleb Mutfwang on the point that he was illegally sponsored? No base on the electoral act,only contestants that can do that.
Second respondents, you’re aggressive member of PDP,no sir
Are you familiar with the Petition? I have not read it.
Would you be surprise to know that if the documents you tendered, are not refered in the petition, until I read the petition.
You are aware that PDP conducted a congress on the 21-9-2021. I’m aware because I was the member of caretaker Committee.
Look at paragraph 27 of your statement,you when and obtain the report of INEC that they came and covered the Congress. Yes that is why I know that the report is faulty.
The other three witnesses also testified as Ringsan Adam Usman from Namu in Qua,an pan LGA
Gwom Caleb Danladi,from Barkin Ladi and Maxwell Mark from Bokkos LGA are polling and ward collation agents who claimed over voting.
The matter was adjourned to Monday 10th,July 2023,for continuation of trial