By INNOCENT ANABA
LAGOS—The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lagos, yesterday, granted Labour Party, LP,  leave to call additional witnesses in the prosecution of its petition against the election of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu.

The tribunal, in its ruling, also dismissed the preliminary objection by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the application.

The additional witnesses sought to be called by LP are Ebere Ifendu and Dapo Durosinmi-Etti.

Dismissing INEC’s objection, the tribunal noted that it was the commission, which raised the issue on non-submission of LP candidate’s INEC Form EC 4B in its reply to the petition, hence there was need to call additional witnesses.

The tribunal said:  “We agree with the petitioner there was need to remove the cloud covering this aspect of the petition in the interest of justice by calling as witnesses, those alleged to have taken part in the submission of the INEC Form.”

“The Petitioner has already filed the sworn deposition of the two witnesses, on the whole, we hold that the present application is meritorious and same is granted as prayed. Accordingly, leave is granted to the petitioner to add two additional witnesses’ statements on oath and call additional witnesses.”

INEC,  ACN, and Mrs. Tinubu had asked the tribunal to either strike out/ dismiss the petition without going into the substantive issues in the petition.

Counsel to Labour Party, Chief Chukwuma Ekomaru SAN, had prayed the tribunal for leave to bring two additional witnesses.

But, counsel to INEC, objected, arguing that the petitioner was out of time and should be denied the opportunity to call additional witnesses.