Politics
By POEM
BOTH the presidential and vice presidential candidates of Labour Party were in the Abuja Appeal Court venue of the 2023 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal today as real trials kicked off. Peter Obi joined Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed who was already representing LP as proceedings went on swiftly.
Obi vs Tinubu was the second case called after Allied Peoples Movement, APM case of HE Kashim Shettima’s double nomination was adjourned to Friday, June 2.
Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, and lead counsel to the Petitioners, informed the Tribunal that he had only one witness for the day. It was later ascertained that other witnesses the Petitioners lined out for today were by subpoena, which could only be signed today in court as activities around Eagles Square since yesterday hindered signing of the subpoena earlier enough for the witnesses to appear in today’s sitting.
The lead counsel handed the presentation of the witness to his team member, Jubril Okutepa, SAN. Okutepa called in Lawrence Uchechukwu Nnanna Nwakaeti, a legal practitioner.
When Okutepa proceeded further with, “my Lord, I want to present to the bar, public documents that we have duly paid for as listed out in the schedule of documents that were [sic] filed this 30th May 2023.”
Justice Haruna Tsammani asked INEC lawyer if they had been served to which, AB Mahmoud, SAN the INEC lead counsel in court, responded they hadn’t
Tinubu’s counsel interjected, _”My lord, they didn’t give us the documents, too. Let them hand us the certified true copies.”
Okuntekpe responded, “We paid duly for these documents, you can do the same. It is scriptural that those who don’t work should not eat.”
Justice Tsammani countered, _*”Please no side jabs.”
The tribunal, despite the seriousness of all matters, is often a combination of a boxing ring and circus arena, where lawyers, especially the Senior Advocates, punched ferociously and entertained in equal measure. Today’s session was no exception, leading the Tribunal panel to order for a 10-minute break for the petitioners to show the Respondents the Forms EC8A being tendered in court.
When they returned from the break, proceedings resumed as all parties raised no further objections while the documents were tendered.
And the witness returned to his position at the witness box. The witness, who hails from Ihiala in Anambra State and who was recorded as PW7, tendered through Okutepa, leading him in evidence, a certified true copy, CTC of the judgement of United States of America District Court, which indicted Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ordered his forfeiture of $460,000 in drug trafficking and money laundering related offences. This was in fulfilment of part of the grounds of the petition submitted by PO and LP to get Tinubu’s declaration as winner of the February 25 election nullified and set aside.
Tinubu’s counsel, led by Wole Olanipekun, SAN and APC led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN objected the admission of the document and through cross-examinations clearly expressed so. INEC’s AB Mahmoud joined in the objections as well. However, after obtaining some statements to aid their objections from the witness, the tag team of Respondents’ counsels reserved their objections to final address day.
There was no re-examination from the Petitioners and the witness stepped down.
Without any further witness, Dr Uzoukwu called for adjournment to following day of which the Justice Tsammani-led panel obliged with May 31(tomorrow) date by 2.00 pm.
The Secretary called up Atiku vs Tinubu next.
A.
Tags: HE Kashim Shettima INEC Justice Haruna Tsammani Labour Party Livy Uzoukwu Obi vs Tinubu Peter Obi Wole Olanipekun
