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JUST IN: INEC explains kicking against tendering own documents against Tinubu’s election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shed light on why it kicked against the tendering of its documents as exhibits by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Gregory Obi, to establish his petition against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The electoral body had on Thursday vehemently objected to the admission of several documents brought to the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) by Obi and the Labour Party for the purpose of tendering them as exhibits to justify their petition.
However, at Friday’s proceedings, INEC lawyer Kemi Pinheiro SAN, told the court that the electoral body kicked against the tendering of certified true copies of the documents, mainly election result sheets, because Obi and the Labour Party did not challenge the conduct of the election in the areas relating to the documents.
Pinheiro explained that issues were not joined in the local government areas where the result sheets were sought to be tendered, adding that it was wrong of the petitioners to go beyond the areas where the election is disputed.
He accused Obi of trying to confuse issues by bringing result sheets where he did not dispute the election and the returns adding that the presidential candidate ought to have guided himself with the pleadings in his petition.
According to INEC, the local government areas unlawfully smuggled into proceedings of the court are totally strange to the petition and cannot stand in the face of the law.
INEC’s explanation offered while lawyers were ordered to make an appearance, however, drew the anger of the Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani.
Justice Tsammani held that it was wrong of INEC’s lawyer to have smuggled the explanation into the proceedings because all parties in the petition had agreed to offer such explanations at the address stage of proceedings.
Pinheiro, in return, apologized to the court but said that he was forced to speak up on the objections because of the deluge of criticisms suffered in the media by his client.
The senior lawyer hinted that social media users had turned his client to an object of ridicule without finding out reasons for objections against the admissibility of the documents.
Meanwhile, the court has admitted as exhibits form EC8A from 21 local government areas of Adamawa and eight local government areas of Bayelsa States and parts of Rivers and Niger State as tendered by Obi and the Labour Party.
Peter Afoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, is conducting proceedings for Obi and LP.
Earlier, hearing in the petition of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) was further shifted to June 9 by the court to enable lawyers to obtain the May 26 judgment of the Supreme Court that would determine whether the petition still has life to sustain it or not.
The grandson of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, known as Olusegun Awolowo is dead.
His passing was announced today by the Awolowo family in a statement.
The statement reads:
Statement on the Passing of Olusegun Awolowo
“With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather- Olusegun Awolowo.
“He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather — steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of our family.
A painfully loyal servant to Nigeria, he dedicated his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment.
He was a true family man, a great friend, a wonderful servant of God, and a deeply beautiful human being.
“He loved his family.
He loved his work.
He loved his country.
And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
The statement added that “THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE CONDOLENCES AT HIS RESIDENCE BETWEEN 2 – 4 PM DAILY.”
……Kanu’s Lawyer Ejimakor reveals next move after court judgment
Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team has vowed to appeal his life imprisonment sentence, insisting that the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court “does not hold water.
”Speaking to reporters shortly after the verdict, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, a consultant on the case, said they would take the matter to the Court of Appeal.
Ejimakor questioned the basis of the conviction, arguing that a man cannot be jailed for mere spoken words.
“What kind of precedent is being laid here? We are heading to the Court of Appeal,” he said.
“The Court of Appeal is the next forum in this country that sits as a jury. We will approach the justices to review what happened today, and we are confident they will see this as a travesty of justice.
”He added that if the Court of Appeal rules against them, they would proceed to the Supreme Court.
“Nnamdi Kanu is not going to stand convicted. The decision will be overturned,” he said.Ejimakor criticised the ruling as inconsistent with the evidence presented.
“This is the only day I have witnessed a man being convicted for mere pronouncements, for what he said, not for any act he committed.
“The sentence is overbroad, cruel, and unusual. How can someone be convicted for a broadcast from a location that was never named, without linking it to any act of violence or terrorism?,” he questioned.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to life imprisonment.
The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, handed down the sentence on counts one, four, five, and six, opting for life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
The court said it was satisfied that Kanu made series of broadcasts to incite violence and killings, in furtherance of his separatist agitation for Biafra.
Trial Justice James Omotosho based his decision on what he described as “uncontroverted evidence” that was adduced before the court by the prosecution.
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BREAKING: Grandson of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Olusegun Awolowo, is dead.
UPDATE: Nnamdi Kanu to face Life imprisonment
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