Cross River election panel adjourns, Otu, APC close defence

<h2></h2>, <h2>Justice Oken Inneh, Chairperson of the Cross River Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, (EPT) has adjourned the proceedings on the matter between Gov. Bassey Otu and Sen. Sandy Onor to Aug. 14.</h2>, <p>The court also warned the counsel to both parties to ensure that their written addresses did not exceed 40 pages.</p>, <span>Sen. Sandy Onor and Gov. Bassey Otu (Credit: Dozzier News)</span>, <p>Inneh who gave the litigants 10 days to file their written addresses for adoption before adjourning the proceedings, warned counsel to both parties to ensure that their written addresses did not exceed 40 pages.</p>, <p>Earlier, Otu, represented by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, called one witness, Dr. Erim Agbo, Assistant Organising Secretary of the APC in the state. The APC, represented by Essien Andrew, SAN, also called a witness, Mr Effiong Umo, the State Assistant Legal Adviser of the APC.</p>, <p>Before commencing his testimony, the governor’s witness, Agbor, adopted his witness statement which he deposed on May 18.</p>, <p>He confirmed that the second respondent, Otu, was generally cleared to contest the elections by his party while the third respondent, Mr Peter Odey, Deputy Governor of Cross River, was a member of the APC, tendering his party’s membership register.</p>, <p>He also told the court that it was not the practice to delete the name of a member because he or she resigned and that it was possible to still have names of members who had either resigned or were dead.</p>, <p>On his part, the APC witness, Umo, confirmed that he interacted severally with the second and third respondents as regards credentials and their competence to contest the gubernatorial elections. He also confirmed that the acquaintance and information they loaded him with severally and collectively formed the basis of his witness deposition.</p>, <p>He equally confirmed that he scrutinised all the documents presented by the second and third defendants before advising his party.</p>, <p>At the end of the day’s proceedings, c