PEPC admits documents tendered by Obi in defence of his petition

The Presidential Election Petitions Court has admitted in evidence documents tendered by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 election, Peter Obi, in defence of his petition against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The documents were tendered on Tuesday in Abuja through the petitioners’ first witness, Lawrence Nwakaeti.

They included a United States District Court judgment.

The judgment reportedly allegedly indicted Tinubu and ordered his forfeiture of $460,000 in a drug-related offence.

Nwakaeti, who was led in evidence by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), told the court that he was a registered voter and that he voted at a polling unit in his hometown in Anambra State on Feruary 25.

Counsel to the respondents raised objections to the admission of the document in evidence, but reserved their arguments to their objections until the final address stage.

Under cross examination by counsel to Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the witness admitted that the judgment was not registered in Nigeria.

Nwakaeti also admitted that there was no certificate from any Consular in Nigeria or America in support of the judgment, but that the judgement was obtained and certified by the person in whose custody it was.

The witness told the court that he had been to the United States and also that he had read the judgment in its entirety, adding that he would be surprised if no mention was made of $460,000 forfeiture in it.

While also cross examining the witness, counsel to the All Progressives Congress, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), sought to know if the document had the certification of any police officer in the United States.

Fagbemi asked: “Do you have a certificate given under the hand of a police officer in the United States where the alleged conviction took place?

“Are you aware of a formal clearance report dated February 4, 2003 issued under the legal attache’ of the United States embassy in respect of the alleged indictment and forfeiture?”

The witness told the court that he had no certificate from the police and that he was not aware of any such report.

The witness further told the court that he did not have the charges against Tinubu because there were no charges since the indictment was from a civil forfeiture proceeding.

Since Nwakaeti was the petitioner’s only witness for the day, the Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, adjourned further hearing in the petition until Wednesday.