There was a mild drama at the Court of Appeal, the venue of the Presidential Election Petitions Court on Wednesday when the justices delivering judgments shut down a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, for interruption.
The Tribunal convened at 9 a.m., and the justices have been delivering decisions in what has been termed as a marathon decision.
Apparently fatigued after eight hours of judgment delivery by the five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan at 5pm asked the court to be brief and either “dismiss or allow” the petitions of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi; against the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the APC.
“I have listened to your Lordship’s eloquent judgement,” Uwensuyi-Edosomwan interjected.
“You don’t have to interrupt judgment, we are delivering judgment and we are still on,” one of the justices shut down the senior lawyer. “You don’t have to suggest to us how to deliver judgment.”
“You don’t have to suggest to us how to deliver judgment. So, you seriously think that all five of us wouldn’t know that?” one of the justices queried.
Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, who subsequently apologised, took his sit while the judgment resumed.