Drama as AC witness claims to be a lawyer - Can’t tell year he was called to the Bar
Reporter - 05.08.2009

AN Action Congress witness who told the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday, that he was a lawyer, gave two conflicting years as the year he was called to the bar.

The witness, Jonathan Adewumi, informed the tribunal that he was called to the Bar seven years ago and gave the actual year as 2005.

Later after some arguments between counsel for the parties, he was asked by the tribunal to explain what it called the “ambiguity” in the claim and the man changed the date again claiming that he was “actually called to the Bar in September, 2006.”

The witness again could not give the names of any of his mates at the Law School and said he could not remember the name of the person who signed his call to the Bar form.

Responding to questions during cross-examination by Alex Izinyon,, lead counsel for Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the witness also said he could not remember the names of his teachers at the Law School and could not remember the courses he offered.

When asked to explain what he knew as the duty of the Body of Benchers, the AC witness stated that the body determined “who passes and gets called to the Bar.”

He also could not give the name of the Head of the Lagos Campus of the Law School which he claimed he attended.

The following were the questions and answers between lawyers and the AC witness.

Question: Where do you live?
Answer: Oyan, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, Osun State.

Question: Is that the same as Ila-Orangun
Answer: No, Ila-Orangun is a different town

Question: You are a legal practitioner?
Answer: Yes

Question: You signed this deposition by yourself?
Answer: I don’t know what you mean by that

Question: (Shows him the deposition) You signed that yourself
Answer: Yes

Question: That deposition was signed by you on 11th May,2007 at the registry of this tribunal
Answer: Yes

Question: Your name on your deposition is Jonathan Adewumi
Answer: Yes

Question: You are how many years old at the Bar?
Answer: Just seven years old at the Bar

Question: What date were you called to the Bar?
Answer: I can’t recollect because I don’t have my certificate here

Question: What year were you called to the Bar- 2002 or 2001?
Answer: No, I was called to the Bar in year 2005

Question: As at 2005, who was the Director General of the Nigeria Law School?
Answer: I can’t remember

Question: Who was your lecturer in Civil Procedure at the Law School?
Answer: She was a woman, I can’t remember her name

Question: Which of the campuses were you in 2005?
Answer: Lagos Campus

Question: Who was the head of the Lagos Campus in 2005?
Answer: I can’t remember his name

INEC Question: Can you look at the crowd of lawyers here if you have a mate here ?
Answer: (looks round) I can’t see any here

Question: Do you remember the courses you read at the law school?
Answer: I can’t remember the number

Question: What class did you make?
Answer: Pass

Question: Do you know one Oyeyemi Ayodeji Oluwaseun?
Answer: I don’t know him

Question: (Asks Barrister Oyeyemi to stand up) That is a man called to the Bar in 2005. Do you know him ?
Answer: I don’t know him

Question: You said in your statement that PDP agents snatched ballot boxes and papers. Did you go to the police station to complain?
Answer: I went to the police station to complain but I did not meet the policemen there.

Question: When did you do that?
Answer: In the morning before 12 o’clock

Question: Can you be specific?
Answer: Before 11 0’ clock

Question: Did you report your injury to the police
Answer: I don’t know. I was in the hospital.

Question: Can you tell us why you did not disclose in your deposition that you are a legal practitioner?

Question: Can you be specific ?
Answer: Before 11 0’ clock

Question: Did you report your injury to the police
Answer: I don’t know. I was in the hospital.

Question: Can you tell us why you did not disclose in your deposition that you are a legal practitioner?
Answer: I am a witness in this case and not a counsel

INEC’s Question: You signed this statement yourself?
Answer: I signed

Police Question: You know before one is called to the Bar, there are processes one must pass through. Can you tell the court the process?
Answer: You have to go to primary school, secondary school and the university, then the law school.

Question: Witness, do you know what the Body of Benchers is?
Answer: Yes

Question: What are the specific duties of the Body of Benchers as regards calling of Lawyers to the Bar?
Answer: They decide who passes

Question: Did you take your call to the Bar form to any member of the Body of Benchers to sign?
Answer: I did

Question: To who?
Answer: Attorney General of Lagos State

Question: His name
Answer: I can’t remember his name

Re-examination by Aregbesola’s lawyer, Akin Olujimi, SAN

Question: Can you explain what you meant when you said you were called to the Bar Seven years ago and that you were called to the Bar in 2005?
Izinyon: I object.The answer was not ambiguous

Gadzama : I equally object to the re-examination the answer was very straight forward

Owolade: There is no basis for the re-examination the witness was emphatic about the year he was called to the Bar.

Olujimi cited Evidence Act, Section 189(3) and some cases to support his argument for the question.

Izinyon: On point of law, the cases cited do not support the case. The words used in section 189(3)are very clear- “explanation of matters”- explanation only comes if there is ambiguity. Inconsistency and contradiction are not the same. A witness can be inconsistent without being contradictory.

Gadzama: The statements were very clear, he did not say just “seven.” He said he was “seven years old at the Bar”

Ruling

There is ambiguity which he needs to clear.

Olujimi: Can you tell the tribunal which is the correct thing-You said you were seven years old at the Bar and again that you were called to the Bar in 2005?

Answer: Actually, I was called to the Bar in September 2006.
[b][/b]

90% of academic certificates of south westerners are forged

Ijawman:

90% of academic certificates of south westerners are forged

wetin hey. abeg na lie . how can you say 90% haba.

Ijawman:

90% of academic certificates of south westerners are forged

You and Iky are completely hopeless

Anyway keep enjoying yourself and like some good members pointed out, people like you and Ik on N/L are better ignored.

The witness again could not give the names of any of his mates at the Law School and said he could not remember the name of the person who signed his call to the Bar form.

why should he?

The onus is on the defandant to proof his/her case.

And it is only possible by checking with Nigeria Bar to get list of students that year! Q.E.D

@Ijawman
this kind of post aimed at a particular people is highly degrading, not to the southwest people perse but to the minimum level of intellectual sanity expected of anyone that claimed to be educated. It is typically education without character, the story of the impostor "lawyer witness" in AC's case reflects the sympton of a sick society which is now at home with us in Nigeria, however, it beat my imagination to see Ijawman descending to this level of insanity. Your hatred for southwest people must have impaired your sense of judgment and responsibility, it actually put a question mark on your character.

If 90% of certificates in southwest are fake, it then follows that all the Universities in the southwest are also fake, in short you demonstrate a reasoning capacity that is far less than that of a beast.

I think you are jobless, and dont no wat ur doing, somebody rigged an election, a criminal is called to testify, then u say The Fake People Of South West Exposed Again, I think u need a brain wash. If u have a beef with south westerners, come, I will give u a wife

ilugunboy

You and Iky are completely hopeless

Anyway keep enjoying yourself and like some good members pointed out, people like you and Ik on N/L are better ignored

u obviously know that emm this is one of them cheap shot of yours!! 

the inability to face the truth!! abi trait

no one is sayin anybody cant do bad as much, but in a situation in nigeria some are in love of claimin what not existed;the most educated etc

then u wonder

peace!

1 truly and equal naija

@ topic,

ROFLMFAO