01/06/2023
LEGAL UPDATE 01/06/2023
The judges are seated again.
Justice Tsammani: What is your application? I learned silk.
SAN Emeka: My application is that I should be permitted based on what we filed so that we do not have a cumbersome file.
Justice Tsammani: So do you want to tender.
LP SAN Emeka: We want to tender from the bar, the public electoral documents listed EC8As to EC8E.
We are now tendering for Rivers State. We have 21 LG, my lord.
SAN Emeka is now calling out all the 21 LGA we are presenting for in Rivers, including Ikwere, Degema, and Goaana.
Justice Ugo: I don’t envy you at all. I think you underrated the kind of job you have. You carried documents like you’re going to Okoko Market. Your documents are scattered. They are too scattered.
Justice Bolaji: You need to sit down and arrange your documents each form. EC8A should be arranged per LGA, not one after the other.
Justice Adam: You mentioned only 16, and you said there are 21.
SAN Emeka: I am trying to locate it in this document.
SAN Kalu: Let’s work with 16. Until we sort this out and put them together.
Justice Tsamanni: So 16 LG in Rivers State.
SAN Kalu: Yes, 16.
INEC: My lord, we here by object to all the documents and form EC8As being presented by the petitioners this morning.
Tinubu’s Lawyers: My lord, we are objecting to all these documents, and we would state it to the fullness of this court.
APC lawyers: We have gone through the documents, and we are objecting to them.
We would hereby state our reasons at the time of address. Thank you, my lord.
Hmm.. So INEC, Tinubu, and APC lawyers have all objected to the EC8As presented by LP in this case.
As expected.
You don’t expect them to agree they rigged in these places.
LP SAN Emeka: We ask for permission of your Lordships to start with Rivers. We want to tender from the bar, the electoral documents and we’ll see No of EC8AS, Wards, Remarks and Exhibit space for your Lordship to mark.
Judge Tsammani: We will spend the whole 3 weeks tendering documents at this rate because you are doing them local government by Local government of 18 states?
LP: My Lords permit me to tender them state by state then instead of by Local governments.
Judge Tsammani: How many Local governments in Rivers state do you wish to tender documents from?
LP: 21 states.
Court: Can you list the states?
LP: they are:
1. Andonni
2. Emohua
3. Ahorda West
4. Asaritoru
5. Kana
6. Ikwerre
7. Okpokpo
8. Okpoko/Mporul
9. Tai
10. Gokana
11. Akokutoru
12. Etche
13. Okugbolo
14. Omuma
15. Oba-Edenma Ndoni
16. Degema
SAN Emeka just finished calling out 23 LGA in Benue State and presented form EC8A sheets for them all.
SAN Emeka: These are all the documents, my lord.
INEC: We oppose the presenting of these documents and challenge it. We will file out a written address stating our reasons.
Tinubu and Shettima: We object to these documents being presented to this honourable court, and we will present our reasons in an address.
APC: I object to all these documents presented.
I shall reserve reasons that can be canvassed during the address.
It’s amazing that INEC has now joined APC to reject documents that are clearly shown even their own IReV.
Justice Tsammani: Documents of form EC8As from 23 LGA in Benue State have now been admitted in as evidence marked as exhibit PC1 and PC2.
SAN Emeka: Thank you, my Lord, I will now be calling for Cross River State.
Justice Tsammani: How many LGA
SAN Emeka: 18, my lord.
SAN Emeka is now calling the 18 LGA, which the form EC8A sheets would be presented from.
INEC: We object these documents being received in evidence.
Tinubu and Shettima: Most respectfully my lord, we object all these documents and would give out reasons in a written address. Most obliged sir.
APC: My lord, we hereby oppose to these documents being tendered and we shall state our reasons in a final address.
LP SAN Emeka: We have 23 LGAs for Benue State. We seek to tender:
1) Gwer East
2. Ogbadibo
3. Kwande
4. Buruku
5. Konshisha
6. Agatu
7. Makurdi
8. Ohimini
9. Ukum
10. Gboko
11. Oju
12. Katsina-Ala
13. Logo
14. Vandeikya
15. Otukpo
16. Tarka
17. Guma
18. Obi
19. Apa
20. Ushongo
21. Ado
22. Gwer West
23. Okpokwu
They have admitted the 23.
SAN Emeka: For Cross River State:
1. Obubura
2. Odukpani
3. Boki
4. Yala
5. Bekwara
6. Calabar Municipal
7. Obudu
8. Obanliku
9. Calabar South
10. Ikon
11. Abi
12. Yakurr
13. Baise
14. Logoja
15. Bakasi
16. Etung
17. Akpabuyo
18. Akamkpa
Justice Tsammani: Any Objections?
INEC: We object to the tendering of these documents for reasons we shall set out in our written address.
2nd & 3rd: We also oppose the tendering and shall advance the reasons in our final written address
4th: We vehemently oppose the admissibility of the documents, and we will advance our reasons in our final written address.
NB: 1st- INEC
2nd & 3rd - Tinubu & Shettima, respectively
4th - APC
Justice Tsammani: They are hereby ADMITTED
Forms EC8As from the 18 LGAs are hereby marked as Exh PD1 - PD18!
SAN Emeka: Let’s quickly call Niger too, my lord.
We have 21 LGA form EC8As to present.
Justice Tsammani: Go ahead.
SAN Emeka is now calling all the LGAs in Niger to be presented.
SAN Emeka: We have 23 LGA, my Lord, not 21
Justice Ugo: And you have it all here.
Justice Tsammani: So we are changing it to 23.
SAN Emeka: Yes, my lords. We have it all here, and it’s 23 LGA.
Thank you.
Justice Adah: I think you should call it again.
SAN Emeka is now calling the 23 LGA’s again.
INEC: My lord, we object and challenge the form EC8As submitted by the petitioners, and we would file a written address stating our reasons.
Tinubu and Shettima: My lord, I can not state now because the petitioners are still sorting the documents. They have not given me for the form EC8As for Suleja, and I will state my position when they are done.
We object to the documents, my lord.
APC: We object to these documents, my lord, and would give a written address.
Justice Tsammani: Form EC8as of 23 LGAs in Niger state are hereby ADMITTED & marked as Exh PE1- PE23!
SAN Emeka is now presenting 20 LGA form EC8As for Ekiti.
Documents for Osun State with 20 LGAs are now presented.
SAN Emeka: Thank you, my Lords. we proceed to number 5 on the list, which is Osun state.
We have 20 LGAs, my Lords
Justice Tsammani: List them
SAN Emeka:
1. Aiyedape
2. Ife South
3. Egbedore
4. Odo-oti
5. Irebodu
6. Obokun
7. Boluwaduro
8. Aiyedire
9. Iwo
10. Daiboribe
11. Ede South
12. Oriyade
13. Ifedayo
14. Lowunda
15. Orolu
16. Ife North
17. Irewole
18. Olaoluwa
19. Ishokwo
20. Ijobo
JusticeTsammani: Any Oppositions?
INEC: We oppose and shall challenge in our written address and, at the appropriate time, challenge their admissibility.
Tinubu & Shettima: Object to admissibility and shall advance reasons in final address.
APC: We oppose the admissibility of these documents sought to be tendered for reasons which shall be canvassed during address stage.
Justice Tsammani: Form EC8As of 20 LGAs in Osun state are hereby ADMITTED & Marked as Exh PF1-PF20 respectively.
PLEASE NOTE THAT
What’s going on in court today is that the judges admitted the documents presented by LP lawyers for Rivers, Benue, Osun, Niger despite the objections from the opposing team. It doesn’t mean that the judges agree with them (yet), but by admitting the documents, it means they can go through them and hear the arguments from each side.
In the case of Osun state, all 20 LGA have also been admitted by the judges.
LEGAL UPDATE
Ekiti state with 16 LGAs Are Now Being Presented
SAN Emeka: Thank you, my Lords. I am now at Ekiti state. Here, there are Form EC8as of 16 LGAs.
Justice Tsammani: List them
SAN Emeka:
1. Ekiti West
2. Ikole
3. Ijero
4. Ikere
5. Ishe-Oru
6. Oye
7. Ekiti East
8. Moba
9. Irebodu/Ifelodu
10. Ilejemeji
11. Ado-Ekiti
12. Ido/Osi
13. Emure
14. Efon
15. Gdonyin
16. Ekiti Southwest
That’s all for Ekiti.
Justice Tsammani: Any oppositions?
INEC: We oppose the application and challenge the admissibility of those documents, and we will advance our reasons.
Tinubu & Shettima: We oppose the admissibility of these documents and will give reasons in our final address.
APC: We oppose and object to the admissibility of the documents being sought to be tendered and shall state the reasons in our final address.
Court: The documents for 16 LGAs in Ekiti are hereby ADMITTED as evidence and marked as Exhibit PG1-PG16
SAN Kalu: It’s 1pm, and time allotted for today is finished. May we pray to continue our presentation tomorrow?
Justice Tsammani: Can you finish with the EC8As today?
SAN Kalu: We have exhausted all the documents we brought in today. We measured with the time to be used.
Justice Tsammani: Any opposition to adjournment?
All parties: No.
Justice Tsammani: The court is hereby adjourned till tomorrow. 2nd June, 2023, by 9 am for continuation of hearing.
