Benue South Tribunal: David Mark lied, he refused to enter witness box – Dan Onjeh insists

Benue South Tribunal: David Mark lied, he refused to enter witness box – Dan Onjeh insists

The senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue South, in the last National Assembly election, Comrade Daniel Onjeh has rubbished his opponent, David Mark’s claim that he was never invited to testify from the witness box at the tribunal.

DAILY POST had exclusively reported that Mark, who was dragged before a tribunal in Makurdi, Benue State by Onjeh over the outcome of the election had refused to testify from the witness box when he appeared at the tribunal in person on August 18.

But Mark, while reacting to the story via his media aide refuted shying away from the witness box, saying that he was never invited.

In a swift reaction, the Director General of Onjeh Campaign Organisation, Mathais Omikpa insisted that the former senate president was being economical with the truth.

He advised him to be truthful as to avoid misleading his followers and the general public as an elder-statesman.

A statement signed by Omikpa, Monday morning wondered why Mark and his team did not counter the story when it was first published in the media that he would be appearing in court to defend his fifth term victory.

The statement said, “To say it was not the intention of Mark to appear in the witness box to testify at the Tribunal is merely an afterthought. Their belated reaction to this glaring fact betrays their insincerity on the subject.

“Through a motion on notice for additional witness statement on oath, David Mark deposed to an affidavit on his written statement as a star witness. At the Tribunal sitting of August 13, 2015, Mark’s counsel, Bar Kenneth Ikonne, to the hearing of everyone including journalists, told the Tribunal that his client, the 1st Respondent, Sen. David Mark was coming to testify at the adjourned date which was August 18 and accordingly, Mark appeared at the adjourned date for the 1st time since the Tribunal started sitting on Onjeh’s Petition.

“It’s a known fact in law, which Sen. Mark as a one time number one lawmaker should know, that to give life an effect to ones written statement on oath, it must be adopted before the trial court from the witness box, and the deponent is consequently cross-examined.

“Whether by joke, Mark’s counsel at the said sitting hinted the Tribunal on why he won’t allow his client to be cross examined; citing he wouldn’t want the Petitioner’s counsel Bar. Tunji Oso, to harass Mark.

“If one may ask, why did Mark depose to a written witness statement on oath in defense of the petition against him by Comrade Onjeh; was it for fun sake? Of all sittings, why was it the only one his counsel announced that he will come to testify and be cross-examined ? David Mark appeared. But did he testify?