Tinubu, APC Close Defense as Star Witness Confirms Tinubu’s Involvement in Drug Case in the US, Did Not Score 25% of FCT Votes.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have closed their case at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja.
Tinubu continued his defense in the court proceedings, presenting witnesses. Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the current Senate Majority Leader, was called as the first witness. He outlined his qualifications and legal background, including being a licensed solicitor in the US and a member of the Nigerian Supreme Court Council.
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Ejes Gist News reports that the star witness for Tinubu and the APC confirmed that Tinubu is involved in a drug case in the United States of America and did not score 25% in FCT.
During cross-examination, INEC stated that they had no further questions. The APC and its witness engaged in questioning regarding Tinubu’s citizenship, lack of indictment in the US, and previous court judgments. Atiku’s legal team presented exhibits, including the US judgment, and questioned the witness on Tinubu’s involvement in Kano and the percentage of votes he received in the FCT.
See the full court proceedings below:
Case No.: CA/PEPC/05/2023
Parties: ATIKU Vs INEC, TINUBU, APC
Date: Wednesday, 5th July 2023
TINUBU CONTINUES HIS DEFENSE
Begins presentation of witnesses.
Olanipekun-SAN: Matter for continuation of hearing. We are ready to proceed.
Calls first witness, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele – Current Senate Majority Leader.
The witness started by presenting his resume (CV), stating that he is a licensed solicitor in the US and a member of the body of benchers in Nigeria. He also mentioned being a member of the Nigerian Supreme Court Council.
Eyitayo Jegede-SAN raised objections to the witness giving oral evidence while being examined in chief, insisting that he should only adopt his witness statement. Eyitayo referred to the 1st Schedule of the Electoral Act, which allows the witness to adopt his deposed statement and objected to the witness reading out his CV, which was not part of his deposed statement.
Jegede further objected to the tendering of the witness’s CV before the court, but the court admitted the CV.
The witness also tendered a report by Election Observers from the ECOWAS, which was admitted by the court following another objection by the Atiku legal team.
Recall that on Monday, Atiku also tendered to the court the EU Election Observers’ report, which disagreed with the credibility and transparency of the 2023 Nigeria Presidential Election. The EU report, besides stating that INEC didn’t follow the rules and the Electoral Act in conducting the elections, also mentioned that the figures reported by INEC are only 31% mathematically correct.
Meanwhile, Tinubu’s witness stated that approximately 10,000 votes supposed to be for Tinubu were discounted in Kano.
During Cross-Examination, INEC stated that it had no questions.
APC & WITNESS.
1- As a practitioner in the US, you know there can’t be a conviction without arraignment and indictment. – YES
2- Exhibit PBF1 is not an indictment – Yes
3- Exhibit RA7 & RA8 have given Tinubu a clean bill of health as far as an indictment in the US is concerned. – Yes
4- As a long-standing associate of Tinubu for 24 years, you know he is a Nigerian citizen by birth. – Yes
5- Are you aware that the Labour Party took INEC to court on the mode of collation of results and the court ruled that it is for INEC to decide how it wants to do it? – Yes, the judgment was tendered in court.
ATIKU & WITNESS
May I call for some Exhibits before I start? Including the judgment of the US and others.
Look at exhibit RA12, Kano result. Were you in Kano? – No
Look at RA 12A, National Collation. Were you at the collation center? – No
Look at the exhibit. You can see that the PDP did not sign. – Yes
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Look at exhibit PBFI, the judgment of the US.
Are you also aware that he forfeited 450k dollars? – Yes, but it was a civil forfeiture, not criminal.
Look at exhibit RA11, Notice of discontinuance. Can you identify the RA11 report on the location of FCT? According to the report, Abuja is the center of unity of Nigeria, the Federal Capital city.
Look at page 51. It’s the report of the committee that recommended that Abuja should be specifically provided for in the constitution. That means Abuja should be special. – Yes
Look at that document, exhibit PV. Is that a notice of discontinuance? – Yes
And the plaintiffs in that case are Attorneys General of 5 states. – Yes
Look at the next document. Can you confirm if Atiku is a plaintiff? – No
Is the PDP also a plaintiff? – No
Is Tinubu a respondent? – No
Is APC a respondent? – No
Is INEC a party? – No
You adopted your witness statement? – Yes
You confirmed that Tinubu scored 19.5% in the FCT? – Yes
The President before Tinubu, Buhari, scored over 25% in the FCT, and Yaradua also scored more than 25% in the FCT.
Tinubu would be the first to be declared without scoring 25%. – Yes
All four major Presidential candidates won in their home states. Tinubu is the only one who did not win his own state. Is it true? – Yes
Your party was opposed to the use of BVAS in the Election. See page 2 of Vanguard, 24th Nov 2022. This is not a statement from our party.
My Lord, I seek to tender the CtC of the paper.
INEC – No objection
Tinubu – Objection, my Lord
APC – We object
Court admits it into evidence.
After the cross-examination, Tinubu and APC closed their case. The court then ordered all parties to file written addresses, giving respondents 10 days and petitioners 7 days to do so. The court will announce the date for the adoption of the addresses at a later time.