David Mark declines testifying in elections petition

To avoid the fire of cross-examination, former Senate President David Mark on Tuesday declined giving evidence in the petition seeking the nullification of his election into the legislative chamber.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the election, Mr. Daniel Onjeh, is challenging the result of the election declared in favour of Senator Mark by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mark’s counsel, Mr. Kenneth Ikonne, had on August 13 told the elections petition tribunal that his client was ready to give evidence in the matter on Tuesday.

At the resumption of sitting, however, Ikonne told the tribunal that although present in court, his client would not enter the witness box to avoid harassment from petitioner’s counsel, Mr Tunji Oso during cross-examination.

During cross-examination, a lawyer is allowed to ask any question under the sun, even if it appears unrelated to the matter at hand.

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.

The counsel to Senator Mark tendered a certified true copy of a press statement by INEC where the commission stated that the guidelines for the conduct of the 2015 general elections were relaxed.