Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Wednesday closed his defense in a pre-election suit filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) and a party chieftain, Edobor Williams against him and two others.
Two other defendants Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that sponsored Governor Obaseki in the September 19 ,2020 Edo State Governorship election and the electoral body the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who were joined as codefendants also closed their defense.
Governor Obaseki closed his defense after presenting his third witness; Professor Eghosa Osaghe of the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Ibadan.
Like three other witnesses who went to the University of Ibadan and graduated in 1979, Professor Osaghe’s certified true copy certificate in Political Science was tendered and admitted as exhibit.
The witness narrated his experience while trying to make a duplicate copy of his certificate on an A4 paper, and said that the portion of the document that had the date and registrar’s signature was cut off in the process of photocopying.
During cross examination of the witness by the plaintiff lawyer Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), the said that with the constraints in photocopying, he would have taken the risk and tendered an incomplete copy of his certificate than presenting nothing at all, bearing in mind that it is subject to verification.
PDP and INEC did not call any witness. While PDP relied on the testimonies of Governor Obaseki witnesses, INEC lawyer, S. M. Danbaba leaves the matter at the discretion of the Court.
With the closures of their defense, Justice Ahmed Mohammed prevailed on the lawyers to parties in the suit to present their final written addresses through virtual channel means communication to enable the court meet the time constraints as the suit will elapse on Sunday 10th of January.
After about an hour stand down by the court, all parties in the suit agreed to file and exchange final written addresses in electronic copies.
The matter has been adjourned to Thursday 7th January for adoption of written addresses.
The APC had presented six witnesses during hearing of the suit.
#Governor Godwin Obaseki
