A star witness of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential election, Mike Enahoro-Eba, on Friday evening at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), faulted the judgement of the United States of America’s court in which President Bola Tinubu reportedly forfeited $460, 000 dollars for alleged drug offences.

The witness, who is a lawyer of 17 years, admitted that the judgement copy was not registered in Nigeria as required by law when delivered to make it effective in the country.

He admitted that there was no evidence in the judgement that Tinubu appeared before the court for his plea to be taken, face trial, and be convicted as required by criminal trial procedure.

Enahoro-Eba, who is an Abuja-based activist, faulted the judgement while answering questions from Tinubu’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, during cross-examination.

“As a lawyer, I am aware that there are differences between criminal forfeiture and civil forfeiture,” he said.

He, however, insisted that President Tinubu, on his own, admitted forfeiting the money in a civil matter.

The witness whose cross-examination almost drew the anger of the court said that he was not aware of a letter of February 4, 2003, written to the Inspector General of Police by the US Consulate in Nigeria.

Answering another question from Olanipekun, the witness denied knowledge of any warrant of arrest issued against Tinubu by the American government.

He admitted instituting direct criminal charges of forgery against Tinubu at a Magistrate Court in Abuja but said the case was thrown out by the court due to a lack of jurisdiction.

Besides faulting the judgement, the witness under cross-examination said he was not aware of a public notice of June 27, 2022, by the Registrar of Chicago University to the effect that Tinubu attended the institution and graduated with honours.

Also during cross-examination by lead counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, the witness admitted to knowing Chicago University as a public institution established in 1863.

He said that there was no certificate in the hand of any police officer relating to the judgement on forfeiture of $460, 000 by Tinubu, and there was no fingerprint or photograph of anybody on the judgement copy.

Immediately after the cross-examination, lead counsel to Atiku and PDP, Chief Chris Uche, announced the close of prosecution of the petition, having exhausted the number of days allotted to them by the Court.

The presiding justice of the court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, has fixed July 3 for Tinubu, APC, and INEC to open their respective defence in the petition.

JAMO84:
The moment Tinubu survived that Lekki toll gate grand conspiracy, I knew he was the next President. That was the only event that could have killed his political career, the plotters just needed to actually kill a few youths and the plot would have succeeded, just like Saraki with the Offa robbery. God had his own special plan for the old man, they laboured in vain on that night.

seunmsg:
Atiku and Peter Obi have both closed their respective cases without proving how they won the election. So, the idea of the court declaring any of them the winner of the election is out of the equation.

The second part of their plea is to get Tinubu disqualified on three grounds. Shettima’s so called double nomination that has now been thrashed by the Supreme Court. 25% of FCT that the two parties seems to have abandoned as they didn’t push this argument seriously. Even if they’ve pushed it, section 299 already made it clear FCT should be treated like a state so it won’t even matter.

The third argument is to get him disqualified by a combination of certificate forgery, dual citizenship and drug conviction.

The certificate forgery is of two nature. Chicago state university and NYSC. As regards Chicago state university, the University already issued a public statement that Bola Tinubu graduated from the University. That alone is enough to settle the matter. All the gymnastic about the color or font of certificate is nonsense.

On NYSC, I would have expected Atiku’s legal team to subpoena NYSC to prove the authenticity of the certificate submitted by Tinubu but they failed to do that. So, how did they arrive at the conclusion that the certificate was forged? NYSC is the only authority that can confirm the authenticity or otherwise of an NYSC certificate.

On the drug conviction issue, it is as empty as the lawyer PDP brought to as witness to prove the case. The witness simply helped PDP to ruin a case that was faulty right from the start. There was no criminal conviction or indictment in the forfeiture. The communication from the US government to the IGP already cleared him of all allegation.

Overall, Atiku and Peter Obi simply wasted everyone’s time. They had no case of rigging so they had to throw in a lot of allegations hoping one will stick. Sadly, they proved none. The two cases will be dismissed with heavy cost to the petitioners.

muykem:
Atiku and Peter Obi don't have any serious case against Tinubu. Some Atiku and Peter Obi supporters that's following the tribunal are ignorance of judiciary system.

seunmsg:
Atiku and Peter Obi have both closed their respective cases without proving how they won the election. So, the idea of the court declaring any of them the winner of the election is out of the equation.

The second part of their plea is to get Tinubu disqualified on three grounds. Shettima’s so called double nomination that has now been thrashed by the Supreme Court. 25% of FCT that the two parties seems to have abandoned as they didn’t push this argument seriously. Even if they’ve pushed it, section 299 already made it clear FCT should be treated like a state so it won’t even matter.

The third argument is to get him disqualified by a combination of certificate forgery, dual citizenship and drug conviction.

The certificate forgery is of two nature. Chicago state university and NYSC. As regards Chicago state university, the University already issued a public statement that Bola Tinubu graduated from the University. That alone is enough to settle the matter. All the gymnastic about the color or font of certificate is nonsense.

On NYSC, I would have expected Atiku’s legal team to subpoena NYSC to prove the authenticity of the certificate submitted by Tinubu but they failed to do that. So, how did they arrive at the conclusion that the certificate was forged? NYSC is the only authority that can confirm the authenticity or otherwise of an NYSC certificate.

On the drug conviction issue, it is as empty as the lawyer PDP brought to as witness to prove the case. The witness simply helped PDP to ruin a case that was faulty right from the start. There was no criminal conviction or indictment in the forfeiture. The communication from the US government to the IGP already cleared him of all allegation.

Overall, Atiku and Peter Obi simply wasted everyone’s time. They had no case of rigging so they had to throw in a lot of allegations hoping one will stick. Sadly, they proved none. The two cases will be dismissed with heavy cost to the petitioners.

keymatt:
A thread of agbados, by agbados, for agbados. Tinubu going to school or not doesn't matter. He's drug case alone is enough to bundle him out.
Whether you like it or not, your mandate thief must return our stolen mandate. 😎
The "Snatch it and runaway with it" philosophy is over. 😎

meolaniyi:
keep fooling yourself. While Tinubu is begging Obi and Atiku to withdraw their against him

senatordave1:


Their cases failed in it's entirety

keymatt:
Fail for where? Is that why the mandate thief is begging Peter Obi to withdraw his so called failed case?
E go shock 🤯 you
The mandate thief's reign in Aso Rock is oce!!! 😎

keymatt:
A thread of agbados, by agbados, for agbados. Tinubu going to school or not doesn't matter. He's drug case alone is enough to bundle him out.
Whether you like it or not, your mandate thief must return our stolen mandate. 😎
The "Snatch it and runaway with it" philosophy is over. 😎

senatordave1:


The issue didn't even come up during the campaign

helinues:


I swear they dare not raised the issue. Have you been seeing them raising the issue also on this forum, NO because them raising it means it's time to expose those who were behind it cos it happened for my koro koro eyes

senatordave1:

Something they should have heaped on buhari

senatordave1:


Begging them where? Did you read this post or you just came to disgrace yourself as usual? Didn't you read that obi star witness disgraced obi yesterday

keymatt:
You wish Obi has already sealed his case against the mandate thief 😎
Tinubu's only hope now is to bribe judges who're league with the devil to acquit him.

senatordave1:


The star witness killed obi watery Case

keymatt:
It's good to dream dear agbado. Unfortunately your dream is an impossible one

JAMO84:
The moment Tinubu survived that Lekki toll gate grand conspiracy, I knew he was the next President. That was the only event that could have killed his political career, the plotters just needed to actually kill a few youths and the plot would have succeeded, just like Saraki with the Offa robbery. God had his own special plan for the old man, they laboured in vain on that night.

keymatt:
You wish Obi has already sealed his case against the mandate thief 😎
Tinubu's only hope now is to bribe judges who're in agreement with the devil to acquit him.

senatordave1:


https://dailypost.ng/2023/06/23/atikus-witness-faults-us-court-on-tinubus-forfeiture-of-460-000/?amp=1