* As court admits $460,000 drug-related forfeiture judgment exhibit
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Labour Party (LP) and its candidate in the last presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, on Tuesday, commenced their case against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by calling their very first witness in the petition.
Through the witness, Mr Lawrence Uchechukwu Nwakaeti, Obi and the LP tendered document; a United States of America (USA) District Court judgment which allegedly indicted Tinubu on drug-related offences and ordered his forfeiture of the total sum of $460,000 to the US.
The five-member panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) had last adjourned to May 30 for commencement of hearing.
When the matter was called, the lead counsel to the petitioners, Dr Levy Uzoukwu (SAN), informed the court that the petitioners have just one witness to present for the day’s proceedings.
He however stated that the petitioners’ case for the day would be conducted by Mr Jibrin Okutepa (SAN).
However, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not object to the admissibility of the document, Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced that their objections is reserved till the final address stage.
The witness, a legal practitioner, who claimed to have voted at his Umuezeala village square polling unit in Anambra State, under cross examination by Tinubu’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), admitted that the judgment was not registered in Nigeria.
Nwakaeti while also admitting that there was no certificate from any Consular in Nigeria or America in support of the judgment, insisted that “the judgment speaks for itself”.
Reacting to another question from Olanipekun, the witness who disclosed that he once visited the United States in 2003, and have read the judgment in its entirety, told the senior lawyer that he would be surprised if no mention was made of $460,000 forfeiture in the document he is testifying about.
Also, responding to questions from the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the witness said that the American court judgment had no certificate given under the hand of any American police but the Sheriff.
When confronted with a February 4, 2003 letter by the Legal Attachee from American Embassy, which Fagbemi claimed formally cleared Tinubu in respect of the alleged indictment and forfeiture, the witness said he was not aware, unless if presented one.
While the witness stated that he cannot produce a copy of the charges against Tinubu, he maintained that the indictment and forfeiture are from civil forfeiture proceedings.
Hearing continues on May 31.
