Labour party is indeed the party to reckon with as INEC and APC unite to fight the party.
The Gubernatorial candidate of Lagos state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is pushing his case in lagos without paying heed to distractions.
Below are the proceedings from his court case so far :
31st May 2023 court session update, Lagos.
All parties and representations have been accounted for.
Tribunal Hearing begins at exactly 12:47pm.
SECOND RESPONDENT LAWYER: Recall that Pre-hearing ended on 23rd of May, as at today by our records. On behalf of petitioner, we can count 9 separate applications, My Lord, we’d like to identify the 9 applications that are ripe for hearing. There are two applications pending on behalf of the petitioner. Seeking two prayers. We were served counter processes an hour ago, we’re yet to respond though.
4th Respondent Lawyer : on our own, we were served on the 29th. The process is being filed already. On our part, there’s nothing outstanding.
Just a lot of back and forth between the lawyers on whether they have filed their petitions appropriately. Yet to get to the nitty gritty.
Second Respondent Lawyer faults the filing of the responses of the counsel got the 1st and 3rd Respondents. Saying they just filed this morning asking that our own motion be struck out on grounds that should have been a response to the application.
READ ALSO : Peter Obi to Storm Abia state for Alex Otti.
light humor in the court room as the counsel cracks a joke*
Second Respondent Lawyer is a real comedian. 😂
Second Respondent Lawyer : We want all matters dealt with speedily and expeditiously.
APC Lawyer on his feet, about to speak.
Be warned this APC Lawyer is much more humorous. He’s a real clown.
Second Respondent Lawyer : We just received the counter processes served on us for additional witnesses.
Court clerk approaches the bench to give the judges a copy of the counter processes that just came in.
The Ac in the court is not working. Everybody just
dey sweat 😂
APC Lawyer : It is not correct that we didn’t file a counter. It was filed on 30th of May
Judge : Can you give us a copy.
LP Lawyer : We were not served.
The APC apparently filed a counter affidavit against consolidation of cases. Note that consolidation of cases makes the trial faster.
INEC Lawyer : We have filed a motion to dismiss this petition on the grounds that your Lordships have no jurisdiction.
We got a counter application to this motion, to which we have also replied. We are ready to play the game with you people.
Fire for fire. Anyhow you want it.
*APC Lawyer sneakily using the Awa Lokan slogan to signify that it’s his turn to speak*
INEC is shameless walahi. They should kuku go and register as a political party for the next election.
APC Lawyer : I apologize for lying earlier.
We didn’t file as I earlier alleged. 😂😂
Judge : You’re just trying to delay this proceeding with all these antics.
APC Lawyer : On our side, we have 3 pending applications. All the 3 were filed on 26th of May.
The LP Lawyer isn’t smiling sheepishly with the APC Lawyer, the
way the PDP Lawyers were earlier on.
APC Lawyer : Our applications are as follows ; 1. Requesting the Tribunal to strike out the case completely on irregularities and incompetence
2. Striking out majority of the avoments in the petition.
3. Halt proceedings
APC Lawyer : We
served them via email.
LP Lawyer : You should serve in the manner recognized by the first schedule. We were served yesterday.
LP Lawyer : We are going to fire back our response today. Make una calm down.
APC Lawyer : Omoh una be Idan o. You go reply us today. Why not take
some time.
LP Lawyer : Idan no dey waste time
APC Lawyer : Ok let them serve us in 15 minutes
LP Lawyer : 15 mins bawo. Take am. E don ready.
Hamzat Lawyer (4th respondent) also towing the line of Owonikoko, Sanwoolu’s Lawyer with the shenanigans.
Correction
The 4th respondent
is APC not Hamzat.
APC Lawyer : We’ve read their response. We are ready to proceed now.
LP Lawyer : All the motions except the one asking that we for-leave to file additional witnesses can be taken on the matter.
Sanwoolu’s Lawyer and APC Lawyer seems to be at loggerhead at the moment.
LP Lawyer : If any of the respondents is trying to delay us. We can proceed without them.
INEC Lawyer : We are here to assist the court in this tribunal Sha o.
Sanwoolu Lawyer : The Petitioners have not met certain conditions according to the Electoral Act to file.
file this petition. So we are asking for a stay of proceeding as a result.
Sanwoolu Lawyer : Your Lordship should decline jurisdiction.
LP Lawyer : Have you finished?
Apparently there’s a short fall in the application cost made by LP in filing the petition.
So APC is hinging on this to halt proceedings.
Judge : We are going to resolve and use our initiative on this.
Resolved.
The judges have resolved to listen to the matters in reverse order.
Meaning LP would come last instead.
APC Lawyer is saying the petitioner lacks the locus to bring this petition. He’s also highlighting the supporting documents that they attached to prove this.
He sits as he discovers that the Judges already have gone through the supposed evidence and supporting documents.
LP Lawyer currently lawyering and countering all the APC Lawyer has just said. He’s urging the judges to dismiss the notice of preliminary objection by the APC Lawyer. He also requests for 3 mins to handle an important point of law.
He refers to Section 140, subsection 1 of the Electoral Act, 2022 to back himself
Interesting back and forth between The LP Lawyer and the Judge.
LP Lawyer : Inec is Independent Dependent National Electoral Commission. 😂😂
APC Lawyer : I’m aligning with the counsel of Sanwoolu on this matter.
The petition should be struck out immediately
INEC Lawyer, APC Lawyer and Sanwoolu’s Lawyer are now jointly attacking the LP Lawyer.
Judge : Ruling on this is reserved till Saturday 3rd of June.
SANWOOLU LAWYER bringing forward the second application after the first one has been struck out.
Sanwoolu Lawyer : We have filed a motion dated 26th of May, 2033,
seeking for 3 substantive reliefs that relates to the petitioner’s reply to 2nd and 3rd Respondent ( Sanwoolu and Hamzat), petitioner’s list of documents. It’s premised on 12 grounds and supported by an affidavit of 5 paragraphs. I adopt these processes and rely on the argument in the written address to urge your Lordships to grant the reliefs sought. This should be done before we proceed to the actual trial.
All APC has been doing all day is to move motions for preliminary objections on different grounds. They’ve not allowed the trial to proceed at all 2022.
INEC’s Lawyer is shouting too much now. He’s the one battling with LP.
The end for 31st May 2023 court session.
– @princesaviour
Meanwhile, today…
At the Lagos Tribunal , Wole Olanipekun SAN told the court to dismiss GRV’s case because he didn’t include Labour Party in his petition, but GRV’s lawyer Dr. Ayeni told him it wasn’t necessary for GRV to include Labour Party in his petition. He advised Olanipekun not to use the Apapa strategy to disrupt the proceeding. Olanipekun insisted and referenced old cases to prove his point but was reminded by Ayeni again, that 90% of his citations have no connection to the case. One of the issues argued in court is that Sanwo-Olu is NOT fit or qualified to be the governor of Lagos state because he is a foreign passport holder.
That would be all for now…