Senator Bamidele, acting as a witness, disclosed that Mr. Obi had joined the opposition Labour Party while still maintaining his membership with the Peoples Democratic Party, which is another opposition party. Mr. Bamidele presented various documents, including the Labour Party’s membership registration file dated April 25, 2022, which indicated that Mr. Obi’s name was not listed as a member. Furthermore, the Anambra registration document of the party did not include Mr. Obi’s name during that period.
Prior to this, Mr. Obi had been a leading contender for the presidential nomination of the PDP. Just two days after the report, on May 27, he officially announced his membership in the Labour Party.
Despite joining the party less than a month earlier, on May 30, Mr. Obi did not violate electoral law according to the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal. This was significant because the electoral law stated that a candidate must be a member of a political party for at least 30 days to be eligible for candidacy.
During cross-examination by Mr. Obi’s legal team, Mr. Bamidele made a notable admission. He acknowledged that Mr. Tinubu had indeed forfeited over $460,000 in illicit drug proceeds during a case in the United States in the 1990s, when Mr. Tinubu resided in Chicago. Despite the case garnering significant media attention leading up to the February 25 presidential election, Mr. Tinubu had avoided addressing the forfeiture for several years.
In response to Livy Uzoukwu, a senior lawyer handling Mr. Obi’s case, Mr. Bamidele confirmed his knowledge of the connection between the forfeiture and narcotics dealing. He also acknowledged that he understood there was money laundering involved in Mr. Tinubu’s case before the final forfeiture.
Mr. Bamidele, who recently assumed the position of majority leader in the Nigerian Senate, appeared to be the most prominent associate of Mr. Tinubu to affirm the forfeiture and the former Lagos governor’s background in narcotics. Mr. Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29 after his controversial declaration as the winner of the February presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
source: Peoples gazatte