JUDICIARY
Obi, Labour Party to Call 50 Witnesses to Prove Petition Against Tinubu’s Election
The Labour Party (LP) and its Presidential Candidate Mr Peter Obi have told the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) that they will call no fewer than 50 witnesses to testify in their petition.
LP and Obi are challenging the election of Sen.
Bola Tinubu.Counsel to the petitioners, Prof.
Awa Kalu (SAN) said this on Saturday in Abuja at the resumed proceedings of the pre-hearing phase before the five justices of the court.“We still have a few hiccups at the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) because of the order of this court made on March 8, directing the commission to allow us carry out forensic investigation of BVAs which we have not been able to do.
”To this end, Kalu said that his clients would require seven weeks within which to present their petition in court.
The senior lawyer told the court that with regards to timing, his team was suggesting that 30 minutes be allotted to the witnesses classified as “star witnesses” to demonstrate any electronic evidence.
He, however, said that the 30 minutes excluded the time that would be used to demonstrate video evidence or any other electronic evidence.
“For this class of witnesses, they will be cross examined for 30 minutes by each respondent and re-examination will be for five minutes.
“In respect of other witnesses, we suggest 10 minutes for evidence-in-chief, 10 minutes for cross examination by each respondent and five minutes for re-examination.
“For the respondents, we suggest 20 minutes for the evidence-in-chief of their star witnesses, 30 minutes for cross examination and five minutes for re-examination.
“For their other witnesses, we suggest 20 minutes for evidence-in-chief, 15 minutes for cross examination and five minutes for re- examination.
He also suggested that where a respondent called a witness and other respondents wanted to cross examine such a witness, they would have to do so first before the petitioners take their turn.
Counsel to INEC, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, said his client who conducted the disputed election planned to call five witnesses to defend the election of Tinubu.
Mahmoud told the court that his team would require seven days to argue the case of their client.
He said that the commission was proposing 30 minutes for its star witness to give the evidence-in-chief, 15 minutes for cross examination and five minutes for re- examination.
“For the regular witnesses, we propose 10 minutes for evidence-in-chief, 15 minutes for cross examination and five minutes for re-examination.”
He opposed the suggestion by the petitioners that a separate time be given to their expert witnesses for demonstration.
He also said that he was not aware of any hiccups between the petitioner and the commission as was alleged by the counsel to the petitioner.
Mr Roland Otaru, SAN, arguing for Tinubu and Shettima said that he would call 21 witnesses to defend his clients challenged victory excluding expert witnesses.
He requested that all expert reports be front loaded to the respondents within 48 hours.
On timing, he suggested that 20 minutes be allotted to expert witnesses for their evidence-in-chief, 30 minutes for cross examination and five minutes for re-examination.
“For regular witnesses, we suggest 10 minutes for evidence-in-chief, 15 minutes for cross examination and five minutes for re-examination.
Otaru prayed the court to make an order that the schedule of documents to be tendered should be exchanged between parties before the hearing.
For his part, Mr Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC) said that his client needed only nine days to call its seven witnesses excluding subpoenaed witnesses.
He agreed with the report of Otaru with regards to timing for each witness.
He, however, said that the petitioners had front loaded only three witness statements and wondered why they would need 49 days to call three witness from only three polling units.
The Chairman of the court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, having heard all arguments urged counsels to meet and reach an agreement on the issue of consolidating the petition.
He adjourned the matter until May 22 for continuation of pre-hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that earlier, counsel to INEC had amongst others, moved an application for the court to strike out ground two of the petition.
NAN also reports that ground two of the petition states that the election of the Tinubu is invalid by reason of corrupt practices or non compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
Counsel to the petitioners prayed the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit.(NAN)
An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday ordered the remand of one Uzochukwu Chinecherem , 26, for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old. Chinecherem, a resident of New haven Estate, Lagos was charged with defilement. The Chief Magistrate, E. Kubeinje, who did not take the defendant’s plea, ordered that Chinecherem should be remanded in a Correctional facility in Lagos.
Kubeinje subsequently adjourned the matter until Dec. 17, pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. John Iberedem told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offence on Oct . 13, at New Haven Avenue, Igbehinadu, Lagos. Iberedem said that the defendant forcefully had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent. The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The section stipulates life imprisonment for any one found guilty of defiling a minor. (NAN) A Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on Wednesday, sentenced a 31-year old man, Lawan Salisu, to three years imprisonment for sexually abusing a 10-year old boy.Salisu, of Tishama Yan Awakai Farin Bene Transformer in Nassarawa Local Government, Kano State, was convicted on a one-count charge of procurement and sexual exploitation after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Delivering judgment, Justice Simon Amobeda, held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. “The offence is punishable by not less than seven years imprisonment and a fine of N1 million.“I have tempered justice with mercy as a first time offender, according to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.“I hereby sentence the convict to three years imprisonment without option of fine. This will serve as a deterrent to others as cases like this are becoming prevalent,” he said.He urged the convict to tender an apology to the victim and his family.Earlier, Mr Hassan Nuruddeen, prosecution counsel, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Kano Command, said the defendant committed the offence at Tishama Awakai Farin Bene Transformer Kano, on June 26.Nuruddeen said that on the same date the defendant procured the minor and sexually exploited him by defilement, in an uncompleted building at Tishama.The prosecution presented four exhibits, including the confessional statement of the convict, and the victim’s testimony to the court, to prove his case.He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 16(1) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and was punishable under Section 26(1) of TIP ACT 2015.The defence counsel, Mr Inuwa Umar-Ibrahim, however pleaded for leniency on behalf of the convict, as a first-time offender.(NAN) A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced a 38 -year-old sales representative to six months imprisonment for fleeing after eating and drinking in a restaurant.
The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N10,000fine or spend three months in prison.
The magistrate also ordered the convict to N23,500 to the restaurant owner or another three months in prison in default.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Ibrahim Gokwat told the court that the case was reported on Aug.27, at the “A” Division Police station by one Charles Nentok, the complainant.
Gokwat said that the convict went to the restaurant, ordered food and assorted drinks worth N23,500 and took to his heels.
The prosecutor said he was later caught and taken to the police station.
The police said that the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code Law.(NAN)
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