2023 ELECTION: Court Sends Strong Warning To Tinubu’s Lawyer

The presidential election petitions tribunal has cautioned Akin Olujimi, President Bola Tinubu’s lawyer, against persistent unsubstantial objections.

Mr Olujimi opposed presenting an INEC-issued appointment letter to a presiding officer who participated in the February 25 presidential election without immediately stating his reasons for the objection, telling the court it would be included in his team’s final address.

The presiding justice of the tribunal, Haruna Tsammani, cautioned Mr Olujimi against repeated objections without disclosing the basis which has become a major feature of the respondents’ appearance.

According to the lead judge, the move could complicate the determination of issues by the tribunal as it will be unclear whether the objection was against the evidence or the admissibility of the evidence.

Friday’s proceedings opened with the petitioner, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP presenting his witnesses in the matter before the court. Immediately the President of the Court of Appeal walked into the courtroom and exchanged pleasantries with some of the senior lawyers, the petitioner was made to call forward his first witness, one Grace Ajagponna, a resident of Kogi State.

Ajagponna was a former National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member. INEC engaged her as a Polling Unit (PU) election officer during the presidential election.

In her testimony, under cross-examination by the counsel to INEC, the witness told the court that accreditation, voting and the signing of the results by her and the party agents all went well, but the upload of results could not go through.

When called upon, the second witness, one Abidemi Abidemi, who is a resident of Suleja Niger State and was an INEC ad hoc staff member, also told the court that everything went smoothly at her polling unit during the elections and that she personally entered the scores on the Forms ECA8, and party agents signed the forms.

She also tells the court that it was part of her training that unless party agents signed, they should not be given duplicate copies of Forms ECA8.

The third witness is Obosa Edosa, also an ad hoc staff member of INEC during the presidential election. She served as a presiding officer in Edo State.