The presidential election petition court (PEPC) has admitted in evidence documents tendered by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in defence of his petition against President Bola Tinubu.

The documents tendered on Tuesday in Abuja through the petitioner’s first witness, Lawrence Nwakaeti, included a United States District Court judgement.

The judgement allegedly indicted Mr Tinubu and ordered his forfeiture of $460,000 in a drug-related offence.

Mr Nwakaeti, led in evidence by Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, told the court that he was a registered voter and voted at a polling unit in his hometown in Anambra on February 25.

Counsel to the respondents raised objections to the admission of the document in evidence but reserved their arguments to their objections until the final address stage.

Under cross-examination by counsel to Mr Tinubu, the witness, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, admitted that the judgement was not registered in Nigeria.

Mr Nwakaeti also admitted that there was no certificate from any consular in Nigeria or America supporting the judgement but that the ruling was obtained and certified by the person in whose custody it was.

The witness told the court that he had been to the United States and had read the entire judgement, adding that he would be surprised if no mention were made of $460,000 forfeiture in it.

While also cross-examining the witness, counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, sought to know if the document had the certification of any police officer in the United States.

“Do you have a certificate given under the hand of a police officer in the United States where the alleged conviction took place?

“Are you aware of a formal clearance report dated February 4, 2003, issued under the legal attaché of the United States embassy in respect of the alleged indictment and forfeiture?”

The witness told the court that he had no certificate from the police and was unaware of any such report.

The witness further told the court that he did not have the charges against Mr Tinubu because there were no charges since the indictment was from a civil forfeiture proceeding.

Since Mr Nwakaeti was the petitioner’s only witness for the day, the chairman of the court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, adjourned further hearing until Wednesday.

(NAN)