ELECTIONS COURT PROCEEDINGS FRIDAY 9th JUNE 2023

 INEC lawyer is up

SAN Pinhero; My lord, we are indifferent about playing this flash drive

It’s already admitted into evidence.

Ahn Ahn

INEC don give up 🤣😅🤣

Everyone is laughing 

APC Lawyers: We stand with our colleagues to object to this flash drive being played so that we can go back to watch it.

We have not played it yet to know the content and we would need to prepare for cross examination.

This evidence should not be played

APC Objection objection all the time.

They even objected to the form that announced their candidate yesterday🤣

The LP legal team just set up a presentation monitor to play a recording of Mahmood Yakubu’s speech for the judges. 

The court is going to be 🔥 today!

Court today is going to be very dramatic.

Labour Party came in with not just offering boxes today, ladies and gentlemen, I saw hefty men dragging big screens😅

What is all this😭

INEC why did you start this problem for yourselves

I don’t know what Peter Obi and Labour Party are planning today.

The judges are now seated and staring at the big screens in the courtroom 

😭😅😭

‘Some people said they don’t have laptops yesterday, so Peter Ono has brought big one for them today, let them be seeing the action 4D 🤣’

The clerk is now calling the case.

Justice Adah is still staring at the screens😭😅😭

Clerk: Case between Peter GRINGORRY Obi and Labour Party against INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and APC

‘The whole court is laughing, which one is GRINGORRY again😭’.

Peter Obi is now up on his feet

Peter Obi: Respectfully my lord, I am Peter GRE-GO-RY Obi for the petitioners 

‘Everyone is laughing

Thank you oh, pronounce the name for them properly😅’

Saturday Monsiegne - Deputy Director, Legal Services, APC

Lead Counsels:

Labour Party: SAN Livy

INEC: SAN Pinhero

Tinubu and Shettima: SAN Olujimi

APC: SAN Bashorun

Some of the Peter Obi and Labour Party lawyers introduced by SAN Livy today to assist in the hearing:

Labour Party has just called out a witness.

The witness was subpoenaed 

He is from Channels Television 

Channels TV is a witness right now.

SAN Livy: My lord we intend to start today by calling a witness who is on a subpoena and I’d hand over to SAN Okutepa while SAN Ikwueto will lead the technical team and software presentation.

SAN Ikwueto: My Lord, we have 2 sets of subpoenas that were served channels TV and I would start with that witness that came on subpoena and he came with his witness statements of oath which we have filed

The witness is now on his feet

Clerk: Tell the court your name

Witness: Lucky Obewox is my name

The witness has now been sworn on oath.

SAN Okutepa: My lord this witness was subpoenaed on 30th May 2023 and 6th June 2023.

Witness do you have the 2 subpoena 

Channels TV: Yea Sir

SAN Okutepa: Where are they

Channels TV: They are here with me 

SAN Ikwueto: My lord we seek to tender the 2 subpoena addressed to the MD/CEO of Channels TV addressed on the 2 dates issued by these honourable court

All the respondents have objected to this witness subpoenaed.

Tinubu and Shettima: Our objection is based on the competence of this witness to testify on this proceedings. 

Our objection isinvested on the provision of the electoral act

Paragraph 4 and 5 of the 4th schedule to the electoral act

My lord it is settled that a petition must be filed within 21 days on the result of an election.

My lord, the document that should accompany a petition should have been filed and the petition must be accompanied with the witness statements and oaths and copies of evidence to be relied on for that petition. And a petition that fails to have this shall not be accepted by the secretary for filing.

This witness is not even competent to testify in this proceeding.

‘Channels TV, Tinubu’s lawyer said you have incompetent witness😭’

Maybe Channels TV should have brought their other staff, Apapa😭’.

The Subpoena has been admitted by the court and tagged as exhibits 

Currently in the courtroom INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and APC’s lawyers are objecting to the Channels TV witness.

His testimony has not been adopted by the court because all the respondents are objecting to it.l, stating the testimony should have been filed earlier.

INEC lawyers are currently arguing using past case.

INEC: My lord the case of PDP Vs Okupo which learned colleague SAN Livy was also involved, a ruling was passed like this.

Justice Tsammani: How does it matter who was in the case you’re citing, you’re wasting time, we want to watch film (he then pointed at the big screens)

🤣🤣🤣

Everyone is still laughing.

APC: My lord, there is no difference between subpoenaed witness and ordinary witness.

I join my colleagues to object and cite some cases like ADP Vs INEC

Justice Tsammani: You’re wasting time, you’re citing what has been cited already. There’s no time.

APC: I want my lordship not to adopt the application of this witness and it should be refused. The timing for his testimony has elapsed.

SAN Ikwueto: Subpeona my lord is an order of court issued to the witness either plaintiff or petitioner has no command over.

On, paragraph 41 sub paragraph 5 and 6 of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022 to submit with respect that even when a witness statement was not frontloaded with the petition, the witness can be allowed to testify in this honourable court.

SAN Okutepa: This witness is before this court on subpeona and by the authority of LASU Vs Owoyemi 2009 Nigeria weekly report

At this point the APC lawyers are correcting his pronunciation of Owoyemi and the correcting the year

🤣😅🤣

SAN Okutepa: My lord you see they know it and they didn’t cite it and they didn’t want to cite it. They know it oh

Justice Tsammani: It was cited yesterday so even if they hide it I already know it.

🤣🤣🤣

SAN Okutepa: LASU Vs Owoyemi

Justice Tsammani: You say LASU and what

SAN Okutepa: Owoyemi

Justice Tsammani: I thought you said Okutepa

🤣🤣🤣

Everyone is laughing 

SAN Okutepa: My lord I don’t have a case yet

I also want to cite Tajudeen Bello Vs Odofin 2021 Law Pavilion Electronic Report

Also in the case of Amachree Vs INEC the court held that no witness should be held back when subpoenaed.

A subpoenaed witness by authority can testify orally and if then does not reduce it to written to be adopted, what injury would we suffer

No injury would be suffered and my lord should overrule this objection and to hold that this is technicality taking too far and they are doing so to run away from the punishment they know they are to suffer.

SAN Okutepa: INEC Chairman was speaking about this thing and

Justice Tsammani cuts him short

No stop that, are you telling us what the witness want to tell us

SAN Okutepa: No it’s public knowledge that’s why they are all objecting like this, they are hiding from the punishment of those statements 

Justice Tsammani: Please don’t say that.

SAN Okutepa: Oni and Fayemi 2019 Supreme Court stated that rules of court cannot override the right of fair hearing

About 219 witnesses came on subpeona to testify.

This witness is competent and can testify on subpeona and my lord should allow us to proceed.

Thank you my lord.

Currently there’s a huge argument about listening to the Channels TV witness.

All the respondents are actively objecting.

We have been listening to objection reasons since the court started up until now.

Wahala in the courtroom

APC: My learned colleague has cited a wrong thing and should be held in professional misconduct 

The whole court shouted ahhhhhh

Justice Tsammani: Please don’t say such. Stop it. That’s why I said we should move on.

SAN Okutepa is now on his feet

SAN Okutepa: My lord permit me to state my objection 

APC: I am still standing sit down.

SAN Okutepa: But I am standing to State my objection

APC: You should know your senior and sit down when your senior is up

Everyone in the court: AAARRRHHHHHH

Justice Tsammani: What is that. How would you say such 

Don’t say such

Justice Ugo: You’re his senior then you should know you’re supposed to sit when an objection is being raised

Everyone in the court:

Oh ohhhh

Justice Adah: You should know you will sit during an objection.

Justice Ugo: Please let’s maintain peace. This court case would finish and go but the both of you would still remain here as learned counsels.

Don’t disrespect yourselves because of a case.

Oh ohhhh thank you

APC elder lawyer, you’re everyone’s senior well done oh, 

SAN Ancestor 😙.

The judges have now stated they would give their judgement on this case at final hearing.

And asked that the witness goes ahead.

SAN Okutepa has asked the witness to present his evidence.

The witness brings out 2 red flash drives.

INEC: My learned colleague is giving me red flash drive instead of blue like my Chelsea.

SAN Okutepa: I know Pinhero is a Chelsea fan so he can have a red one like my Arsenal.

Justice Tsammani: You should have given him blue for Chelsea

SAN Okutepa: That’s why I gave him red card.

Justice Tsammani: But both of you are still losers, both Chelsea and Arsenal didn’t even win anything 

🤣😅🤣

Stray bullet have hit Chelsea and Arsenal fans today, losers association

😅🤣😅

Justice Tsammani: Number 2 and number 18

Losers association 🤣😅🤣

The flash drive’s temdered by the Channels TV witness was not objected to by INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and APC

That’s a surprise. They did not object to the admissibility of this evidence 

😅

SAN Okutepa has now applied to play the flash drives.

Time for movie

Somebody should tag INEC and tag Festus Okoye to say cheeeeeese

Hold on, Tinubu’s lawyers are up

SAN Olujimi: My lord objection

I object to this flash drive being played

🤣😅🤣

Wahala

What’s all this na 🤣

Objection Objection Objection all the time

INEC lawyer is up

SAN Pinhero; My lord, we are indifferent about playing this flash drive

It’s already admitted into evidence.

Ahn Ahn

INEC don give up 🤣😅🤣

Everyone is laughing 

APC Lawyers: We stand with our colleagues to object to this flash drive being played so that we can go back to watch it.

We have not played it yet to know the content and we would need to prepare for cross examination.

This evidence should not be played

APC Objection objection all the time.

They even objected to the form that announced their candidate yesterday🤣

APC, Tinubu and Shettima lawyers are currently objecting to the video presented by Channels TV to be played.

APC: We need to be served first before you play the video. This is an ambush

SAN Okutepa: There’s no law that states such.

My lord, we can move on and see what the witness wants us to see.

SAN Okutepa has cited the court to Geo Memorial Medical Center Vs National Directorate of Employment 2013

Justice Tsammani: That case does not apply.

SAN Okutepa: My lord it does.

Justice Adah: It doesn’t apply to this situation 

SAN Okutepa: My lord, it applies because the respondent is saying we can’t play

Justice Bolaji: Learned silk, you’re not listening. We have said it doesn’t apply but you’re still insisting 

Okay

Justice Tsamamni: Evwn if, the time is far spent. We can’t do anything anymore today.

SAN Okutepa: As the court pleases my lord 

Justice Tsammani has just ruled that if not for time today, the video would have been played.

So the video from Channels TV witness was not played and the witness was stepped down.

Justice Tsammani: We would need to leave because the time is gone and if not for time we would have played this video because if it was a document we would have moved on to listen, what’s the difference with a video as long as it’s from the witness.

There’s no difference.

Justice Ugo: Exactly, none, we just wasted time arguing. The video would have been played today.

Justice Tsammani: The court would be adjourned to tomorrow 10th June 2023 2pm

SAN Olujimi: Some of us are going to watch movies on Saturday

Justice Ugo: You can watch from

Your house.

Justice Tsammani: Okutepa bring blue flash drives tomorrow 

SAN Okutepa: No it would be red card for Arsenal

Justice Tsammani: I’m blues oh

You better look around your surroundings before you talk bad about Chelsea 🤣🤣🤣

Justice Tsammani is a Chelsea fan,

Such a sad moment 🤣🤣🤣

I wonder how he was breathing all through this EPL season, he’s such a strong man 😭🤣😭

Up Chelsea the strongest team in the EPL 🤣🤣🤣