The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, Abuja, has told a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN hired by factional leader of Labour Party, Lamidi Apapa, Chief Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, to sit down or leave the court.
This followed efforts by Apapa, through his lawyer to take over the case by Labour Party and it’s Presidential Candidate in the February 25, election. Mr. Peter Obi.
Labour Party and Obi are challenging the declaration by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the presidential election.
At the resumed hearing in the case on Friday, after other counsel had announced their appearance, Chief Maduabuchi, SAN, told the court that he had been briefed by Labour Party to appear for it, the Apapa faction.
But the court reminded the SAN that another lawyer, Prof Awa Kalu, SAN, who filed the court papers has announced appearance for the party.
But the Justice Haruna Tsammani led panel refused to record his appearance.
Justice Tsammani,said: “You did not file this petition. Let the person that filed the case announce appearance. We cannot record you.”
Also, another member of the panel, said: “As a learned silk, you should know better and you should have told whoever that briefed you that there is another lawyer handling the matter.”
It became clear to Maduabuchi, that he would not be recognised by the court and he informed that he would go back to his client.
At that point, Justice Tsammani, said: “That is not our business. You can either leave the court or sit and observe the proceedings.’
