– Two lawyers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) had a clash in court today, February 2
– The war of words occurred during the hearing on a petition on the Edo state election tribunal matter in the state
Some lawyers have engaged in war of words over an election tribunal matter in Benin, Edo state.
The lawyers clashed during a cross-examination of a witness in tribunal session at the Benin High Court in Edo state.
Wole Olanikpekun, the lead counsel for the second respondent (Edo state governor Godwin Obaseki) in the Edo state gubernatorial election petition had harassed one of the witnesses in the matter.
Olanikpekun, a senior advocate of Nigeria told Frank Osifo that he could not lecture him on the literary meaning of a question he asked.
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The lawyer said he expected the counsel to the petitioner to caution his witness.
He said: “When a witness is telling me about the literary meaning of what is there, I expected them (petitioners’ counsel) to caution him; I do it to witnesses. What an insult!”
He said the question he had asked Osifo was a only a simple question that required a simple answer.
“I asked him a simple question and he (witness) was lecturing me about the literary meaning. I expected them to rise up; this is not the way we know it is done.”
“I don’t harass witnesses. But I can’t stand here at the bar and allow a witness to insult me; he was insulting my intelligence,” Olanipekun said in a very angry tone.
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But in an objection to Olanikpekun’s allegation against Osifo, Kemi Pinhiro, counsel to the petitioner said the senior advocate of Nigeria was abusing his witness.
Pinhiro further accused Olanikpekun of treating other witnesses brought before the tribunal in the abusive manner.
He said lawyers must desist from the temptation of seeing a witness as a lesser being.
“Regardless of the eminence of counsel, it is not a privilege to abuse and insult a witness. He has no right to insult and abuse a witness. Justice must not be done but must be seen to be done. You cannot abuse my witness.
“My lord, I have been very patient. Counsel upon counsel has been insulting witnesses,” Pinhiro said.
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Also speaking on the matter, a counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC) party Lateef Fagbemi said the first witness had made mischievous attempts to evade questions thrown at him.
He said it was the duty of petitioners’ counsel to caution such a witness.
“You don’t solve a problem by running away from it. It is an act of cowardice. When previous witnesses were misbehaving, you ask them questions and they will prevaricate, they were enjoying their antics. They cannot avoid the consequences.
“Counsel has a duty. No matter what your position is, when you observe that your witness is going off the line, it is your duty to the court to caution him. You cannot continue to enjoy his antics and avoid his being put in his correct shoes,” Fagbemi said.
360naze
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