..As Tinubu, APC close their defence in Obi’s petition
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Senator Kashim Shettima on Wednesday, in their defense in the joint petition filed by the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi and his party with tendered evidence of membership registration list of the labour party that excluded name of Peter Obi.
At the Wednesday proceeding, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, counsel to President Tinubu tendered from the bar documents containing a forwarding letter of membership register of the Labour Party to the chairman of the INEC to claim that Obi is not a member of the Labour party.
A break down of list of the documents Tinubu tendered and were admitted as exhibits despite opposition of the LP include; a letter from the Nigeria Police to the United States Embassy, dated February 3, 2003; letter from the United States Embassy to the Nigeria Police, dated February 4, 2003; and US Visas and immigration documents between 2011 and 2021. The documents; eighteen in all we’re duly admitted and marked accordingly .
Others are; A copy of Report of the Committee on the Location of the Federal Capital of Nigeria, certified by Archives and History Bureau of the FCT; copy of Form EC 8D for Kano State in respect of the February 25, 2023 presidential election; and copy of Form EC 8D(A);copy of Form EC 8 in respect of the presidential election of 25th February, 2023.
Also tendered and admitted were a list of register membership of the labour party and membership list of LP for Anambra state to claim that obi is not a member of the labour party.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress APC did not object to tendering and admitting the documents as exhibits, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku vehemently kicked against admission of the documents.
However, inspite of the vehement objection by PDP and Atiku, the Court admitted the documents as exhibits to be used to determine whether the President actually attended the Chicago State University and to as determine whether he was convicted in the United States of America USA for any drug offences as alleged by Obi and his party.
In oral testimony the newly elected Senate Majority Leader Senator Michael Bamidele who turned out to be President Tinubu, sole witness, when reexamined by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, counsel for All Progressive Congresss, APC, told the court that Obi ‘s name is not contained in the membership list of the LP submitted to the INEC.
The witness also told the court that the February 25 presidential election results for APC in Kano state were recorded with a shortfall of 10, 292 votes against Tinubu.
During cross examination by counsel to Obi, Dr Livy Uzoukwu, SAN who asked if the witness was aware of EU reports on the election, the witness agreed that there a report and it was tendered through him in evidence.
On whether the letter from the United States Embassy to the Nigeria Police, dated February 4, 2003 address issues of criminal allegation against Tinubu, the witness said the Nigeria police letter to the US requested for search for general Criminal records against Tinubu and that therefore the US letter which cleared Tinubu of criminal conviction was an appropriate response.
Consequently, upon the discharged of the witness from the witness box the 2nd and 4th respondents closed their defences on Obi and Labour petition.
Meanwhile, the PEPC have given the respondents 10 days to file their final written addresses, and petitioner 7days to respond and 5 days to reply on point of law .
President of the Presidential election petition court Justice Haruna Tsammani
said that the parties would be communicated on the date for adoption of the final written addresses