Election Tribunal: US Judgment On Tinubu's Drug Forfeiture Admitted By Court

On Tuesday, a US District Court judgment which reportedly indicted Bola Tinubu and ordered his forfeiture of $460,000 in a drug-related case was admitted as evidence by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

Barrister Lawrence Uchechukwu Nnana Nwakaeti, a witness tendered the certified true copy of the judgment at the commencement of the hearing of the petition filed by Peter Gregory Obi against President Tinubu's election.

Nwakaeti, who was led in evidence by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), tendered the court judgment as part of Obi and the Labour Party's request to nullify the declaration of Tinubu as the 2023 presidential election winner.

Reacting, Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed their objection to the admission of the judgment but reserved it for the final address stage.

While being cross-examined by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the counsel for Tinubu, the witness admitted that the judgment was not registered in Nigeria.

Nwakaeti also said that there was no certificate from any Consular in Nigeria or America in support of the judgment but insisted that “the judgment speaks for itself”.

According to him, the American court judgment had no certificate given under the hand of any American Police Officer.

He further denied knowledge of a February 4, 2003, Formal Clearance Report by Legal Attachee from the American Embassy in respect of the alleged indictment and forfeiture.

The witness was subsequently asked to produce a copy of the charges against Tinubu.

 While admitting that he did not have any maintained that the indictment and forfeiture are from civil proceedings.

The Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, adjourned further hearing in the petition to May 31.