The witness presented in court by Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi asserted that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was fined $460,000 by an American court in a drug trafficking case and forfeited the amount to the United States government.

Obi's legal team presented Lawrence Uchenna Nwakaeti, a lawyer from Ihiala, Anambra state, as their first witness.

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Obi and LP's suit hinges on the disqualification of Tinubu, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), due to the double nomination of his Vice, Kashim Shettima, and the alleged drug trafficking conviction in the United States. Obi and LP's trial began today.

The witness adopted his statement on oath and also admitted he obtained the “proceedings of the United States District Court” on Tinubu’s alleged forfeiture.

A.B Mahmoud, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), questioned Nwakaeti during cross-examination as to whether all of his statements regarding electoral forms and the U.S. Court Judgment were legal opinions. In response, Nwakaeti stated that his statements were consistent with "pure law."

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The witness acknowledged that the judgment presented against Tinubu had not been registered in Nigeria and that there was no consular certification in Nigeria or the United States to support the judgment.

He, however, maintained that “the judgment speaks for itself.”

Asked by the APC counsel, Lateef Fagbemi that,

“As a lawyer, you are aware that these documents are not registered in Nigeria and there is no certificate attached to the document from the US?” to which Lawrence replied that there are certificates. 

“Is there a certificate from the US consular?”

“No certificate from the consular,” Nwakaeti replied.

 

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In response to Fagbemi's request for a copy of the accusations against Tinubu, the witness stated that he did not have any, but maintained that the forfeiture was the result of civil proceedings.

“You are aware that all the proceedings were civil proceedings?”

“Civil forfeiture proceedings,” the witness replied.

Counsel to Tinubu and Shettima, Wole Olanipekun asked the wetness, Nwakaeti: “You stated emphatically that Tinubu was fined 460,000 dollars in USA?

“Will you be surprised that not a single line or word relating to fine was mentioned in the US Court Judgment?”.

However, the witness insisted that Tinubu was fined.

After dismissing the witness from the witness stand, the court deferred the hearing until Wednesday.