Welcome to Labour Party’s Tribunal hearing for today….
Drama between PDP and APC Lawyers in court almost took the whole day..
PDP has officially closed their case for the petitioners now The other parties will go into defense All the parties agreed after it was moved by INEC lawyer in this matter, that it should be adjourned to 3rd of July after Sallah, which is on the 1st of July The court has granted ADJOURNMENT to 3rd of July date for PDP Matter!
Grab your Popcorn 🍿 let’s move…
Labour Party’s case is set to begin
The judges are about to come in.
The lawyers are all seated already.
The judges are now seated.
Full List of Appearances:
PARTY: – Comrade Ladi Iliya, Deputy National Chairman, LP for 2nd Petitioner – Chris Maigida, Deputy Director Legal services
APC COUNSEL: Petitioners: Peter Obi & Labour Party Dr. Livy Uzuokwu SAN Awa Kalu SAN Ben Anachebe SAN Ikechukwu Ezechukwu SAN J S Okutepa SAN Dr. Mrs Valeria Janet Azinge SAN Peter Afuba SAN Chief Olushola Esq Rita Garba Esq
1st Respondent – INEC Dr Kemi Pinero SAN Maiyana S. A. N. SAN Steven Adehi SAN Mallam Tenimu Inuha SAN Alhassan Umar SAN Abdulaziz Sunny SAN Suleiman Ibrahim SAN Nasara Esq Patricia Obi Esq Ayoleke Obulabi Esq
2nd & 3rd Respondents – Tinubu & Shettima Wole Olanipekun SAN Emmanuel Ukala SAN Oladipo Okpeseyi SAN Babatunde Ogala SAN Mrs Funmilayo Quadri SAN Akintola Makinde Esq Helen S. Esq
4th Respondent – APC M. O. Fagbemi SAN Chief Afolabi Fashianu SAN Chief Mrs Olabisi Shoyemi SAN Solomon Umor SAN Chief Oluseye Opasonye SAN Prince Adeniji Kazeen SAN Prof Lawan Yusufare SAN Aliyu O. Saiki SAN Chief Anthony Adeniyi SAN Lukman Fagbemi SAN Dele Gbadewun Esq Omosonya Opola Esq Bolaji Onuh Esq.
SAN Livy is now up on his feet
SAN Livy: My lord, the witness yesterday had his cross examination stood down to today. He is available in the court now for the continuation.
Justice Tsammani: Yes
The witness Yunusa Tanko is now on the witness box and reminded of his oath INEC is now up to start cross examination
INEC: Tanko, thank you for your 105 paragraph witness statement. Please confirm to the court where you were on the 25th of February, voting day
W: I voted at PU 4, Gawaki Abuja and then left to the Labour Party Asokoro situation room. After that I went to the voting point to monitor the votes counted and then after that I went back to the situation room.
INEC: Apart from your polling unit and the situation room, you were not physically anywhere else at that day
Yes
INEC: What is your designation in the Labour Party I am the chief spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Council as well as the National Director Media of Labour Party.
INEC: So it is correct to say you were not a PU agent or a collation agent
I am the collation agent at the situation room
INEC: So you were not a PU agent or collation agent for your Party at any of the INEC CENTERS
I was the agent at my own polling unit
INEC: Where you involved in any case against INEC, show him this copy is he recognize it Tanko looks at the document
W: Yes I recognize it
INEC: My lord the case is AbjCS/1424/2022 delivered on 23rd of January 2023 INEC Vs Labour Party I seek to now tender it
SAN Livy is now up: I object to the tendering of this document as evidence and I will state the reasons in our final address
Tinubu’s lawyers and APC lawyers did not object to the document tendered by INEC The judges are now looking through the document The registrar is searching through some files looking for something while the judges are waiting for her
INEC: Registrar I hope you have paused my time Justice Tsammani has now admitted it as evidence before the court and tagged it as exhibit
INEC: Registrar, please show my brother Yunusa page 2 of the exhibit S1 Yunusa please read page 2 the declaration your Party sought Witness reads it and it states that INEC must use electoral collation for elections
INEC: Also read page 4
Witness: Reads it and it states that INEC can use any means for collation and not just electoral means
INEC: Did your Party appeal this
Witness: I am not aware of this matter itself or whether it was dismissed
INEC: Show the witness PU048 of Ward 7 EC8A electoral form LGA 02 of FCT and also PU070 Ward 07 LGA 02 FCT Witness tell the court the score of Labour Party there
Witness: They are mutilated and I cannot identify
INEC: That is not what I asked
SAN Livy is up, allow him to record his answer rather than shutting him out, that’s unfair.
INEC: What of the other respondents, what’s their score.
W: I cannot see it. It is mutilated
INEC: So you cannot see it. Can you see the score of APC at 17 votes
W: I cannot see it. It is mutilated
INEC: So you cannot see that Labour Party has 209 votes
W: I cannot. It is mutilated
INEC: Is it mutilated or blurred which do you want the court to take
W: They are mutilated and blurred
INEC: Registrar please pause my time Registrar looking like: This one is not okay oh In the entirety of your paragraph 105, confirm to this court that you did not state any figure as unlawful vote
W: That has been stated by INEC cuts in INEC: I am asking you just answer me
W: The mathematician said Bell Rings
INEC: I did not ask you about anybody Just answer me
W: Seemingly No
SAN Livy: Your time is up
INEC: Thank you, look at paragraph 9. You spoke about Party Agents Confirm to my lord that you had Party Agents all over the polling units
W: We had about 130,000 and we had extra from ADC
INEC: I didn’t ask you any party, I want from Labour Party only
W: We have 103,000 No 130,000
INEC: Is it 103 or 130
W: 133,000 exactly
INEC: How many polling units do we have in the federation
W: My lord, if I can refer to the document but I don’t remember the exact figure .
Olanipekun is now up for Tinubu’s lawyers cross examination
O: Do you know there are 176,976 polling units
W: No I don’t
O: When did you join Labour Party
I joined the Labour Party 30th of May 2022
O: You joined the Labour Party before the 1st petitioner Yes my lord
O: You were amongst those who incorporated him
W: Yes
O: On paragraph 18 of your witness statement, you gave the Party These are the results allocated to parties
O: In the allocation your party came 3rd Yes my lord
O: In that allocation, PDP Alhaji Atiku came 2nd
W: Yes
O: You voted in Abuja and your party won in your polling unit
W: Yes
O: Would you tell my lords if you want the court to void the figure
W: Yes my lord, what I want is that Olanipekun cuts in
O: Take it one at a time, you’re my friend and I don’t want you to fall
W: Thank you
O: Your party won in the 5 Eastern States and
W: I agree but
O: That’s all
SAN Livy: Let him answer stop cutting him
O: He has answered please. In Anambra State, Peter Obi scored 95.7% in the votes
W: I don’t know, if I see the figures I can count I have not seen it
O: You don’t know, it’s in your statement W: Let me see
O: If you don’t know say you don’t know. Labour Party won in 12 states, do you want the court to void all that
W: If they were counted appropriately we would have scored more
O: So you were not satisfied with the votes and you need more
W: The votes were not uploaded
Want the votes voided
A. We’re not satisfied and that why we are here for the votes to be uploaded, as of today, they are still being uploaded
Q. Where do you live
A. Dawaki
Q. Is that your personal property
A. Not really
Q. Do you have a generator?
A. I manage a ‘I pass my neighbour’
Court: so you pass your neighbour.
Q. You bought that generator due to constant power failure
A. Yes my Lord
Q. You have a mobile phone
A. Yes my Lord
Q. A good number of times, text messages and calls don’t go through because of network
A. Seemingly so
Q. In Para 100 of your witness statement, you stated that you can identify results obtained from IREV. Tell the court the number of unlawful votes allocated to Tinubu.
A. Our expert brought a documented report in that regard
Q. Tell the Court what your expert presented
A. I was not in court when he testified
Q. Do you know?
A. No I don’t
Q. In Para 103,you want the court to deem votes as wasted votes, tell the court the votes
A. Those were the reports presented by our expert
Q. The one who came second (Atiku)what do you want the court to do with him
A. I said it in my statement on oath, we want our candidate declared
Q. What do you want the court to do with the votes of the second?
A. We challenge the entire results of the election and it affects everyone
Q. So you want the court to cancel the votes of LP
A. We said the results were allocated and INEC did not do the right thing.
Q. Tell the court the number of valid votes scored by Peter Obi
A. Our export on oath gave evidence in that regard
Q. Were you here when he gave evidence
A. No, I can’t be here
Court: do you know what was scored by Obi or not
A. I’ve answered, our export gave evidence in that regard.
That’s all for this.
…
To be Right back….
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