Three defence witnesses have testified, as hearing resumed at the Rivers State Governorship Elections Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Three defence witnesses have testified, as hearing resumed at the Rivers State Governorship Elections Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The second respondent, Governor NYESOM WIKE has until today to complete the defence of his election victory on 11th of April.
Reports coming from the venue of the sitting indicate that the tribunal yesterday overruled an objection by counsel to the respondents, seeking to stop the presentation of documented evidence during cross-examination of defence witnesses by counsel to the petitioners.
Our Abuja correspondent, JAMES IGAH reports that the petitioner’s counsel, AKIN OLUJIMI, sought to make the presentation during cross-examination of a national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission who was called in as defence witness.
The man was confronted with a document originating from INEC in relations to the conduct of governorship election in River State, but he declined to answer questions concerning the document, stressing that it did not originate from him.
All three counsels representing the defence parties raised objections regarding why the document should not be admitted as evidence, arguing that the petitioners were bringing in evidence through the back door.
They cited sections of the Evidence Act to support their position, but the objection was overruled by the tribunal panel chaired by Justice SULEIMAN AMBROSSO.
The tribunal held that as a senior national commissioner of INEC, the witness cannot claim that he had no knowledge of a document that emanated from his employers.