Ogun tribunal finally admits PDP witness’s video as exhibit

<p>The Ogun State election petition tribunal on Thursday ruled on the admissibility of a video evidence tendered by a star witness of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunkanmi Oyejide.</p>, <p>Lawyers on Wednesday had engaged in serious arguments when Oyejide tendered the video evidence in the petition filed by Ladi Adebutu.</p>, <p>Adebutu is challenging the March 18 governorship election that returned Governor Dapo Abiodun as the winner.</p>, <p>Having called over 90 regular witnesses, Chris Uche, counsel to the petitioner, called Oyejide, as one of his star witnesses.</p>, <p>While being led in evidence yesterday, Oyejide tendered some documents, , which the petitioners vehemently objected to.</p>, <p>Arguments ensued when the said star witness tendered a video evidence of thugs disrupting voting in Ogun and document translating words in the video from Yoruba to English Language.</p>, <p>Remi Olatubora, counsel to INEC; Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, counsel to Abiodun and Onyechi Ikpeazu of the APC in their separate submissions had kicked against the video evidence, asking the tribunal not to admit same.</p>, <p>In his words, Olatubora described the documents as ‘cancerous’, saying the video is a hearsay and should not be admitted by the court.</p>, <p>He quoted Oyejide as having said that the videos were downloaded from Channels Television and Arise Television websites, saying the videos were not reliable.</p>, <p>Reacting, Uche said the tribunal needs to admit the document before it could determine whether it is hearsay or not.</p>, <p>The PDP lawyer maintained that the respondents ought to reserve their objections till final addresses as stated in the prehearing report.</p>, <p>He urged the court to discountenance the objections of the respondents and admit the video evidence, which was to be played in court.</p>, <p>The tribunal, after listening to the arguments of the petitioners and the respondents, reserved ruling till today.</p>, <p>As the court resumed on Thursday morning, the panel said the video evidence