Tribunal right to dismiss testimonies of Atiku’s witnesses about rigging as they were hearsay - Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that the lower court cannot be faulted for dismissing the testimonies of Atiku Abubakar’s witnesses.

Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party had appealed the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court which dismissed their petition seeking to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu.

The appellants are aggrieved that the lower court said the evidence provided by the witnesses was hearsay.

The presiding justice of the panel, John Okoro held that the position of the lower court describing the testimonies as hearsay “cannot be faulted”.

Reading from the ruling of the lower court, Justice Okoro said the witnesses could only give evidence on their polling units where they were present.

“What they were told is hearsay evidence,” he held.

“From the evidence on record, it is indisputable that the witnesses were not present in all the polling units and that their testimonies about others are merely hearsay.”