The former Senate President, David Mark on Tuesday shied away from his own defence in the
petition filed against him by Mr Daniel Onjeh challenging his return to the senate by INEC. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Mark’s counsel, Mr Kenneth Ikonne had on Aug
13 asked the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi for an adjournment
to enable him bring Mark as a witness so he could close his case. However, when the Tribunal resumed hearing today, even with the presence of Mark in the court,
Ikonne announced that he would no longer call him as a witness to avoid harassment from
petitioner’s counsel, Mr Tunji Oso during cross-examination.
Ikonne only asked the Tribunal for permission to tender some documents from across the bar to
enable him close defence, saying that he had exhausted his witnesses. Ikonne, therefore, tendered a certified true copy of a press statement by INEC where INEC
stated that the guidelines for the conduct of the 2015 general elections were relaxed. He also tendered relevant pages of Sunday Mirror Newspaper and This day Newspaper both of
March 29, 2015 in evidence. Tendering the documents, Ikonne urged the Tribunal to admit them in evidence, explaining that
they were relevant and were pleaded in page 2 paragraph 5 and 116 of the first respondent’s
reply to the petition
Ikonne also urged the Tribunal to evoke paragraph 41(6) of the First Schedule to the Electoral
Act as well as paragraph 20 rule 2(d) of the Federal High Court ruling, 2009 in the evidence
before it. Counsel to all parties in the case did not object to the admissibility of the documents so the
Tribunal admitted them and marked them as exhibits. Counsel to PDP, Mr Chris Alechenu then prayed the Tribunal for a short adjournment, explaining
that he did not know that the first respondent would close his case on time so he was not
prepared to begin his defence. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Mosumola Dipeolu therefore, adjourned the matter to Aug 19,
2015 for continuation of defence. Speaking to newsmen shortly after the proceeding, Onjeh’s counsel said that the implication of
Mark’s refusal to testify in his own defence even though his name was among the witnesses
was that he had abandoned his defence. Also speaking to newsmen, Mark’s counsel who earlier called 10 witnesses to defend the case
said that he did not want to waste the time of the Tribunal by calling Mark to testify since the
petitioner had no case against him.
.
Source:Daily Post

Booked

Hw i wsh mark loses

Is today not 19th August?