POLITICS

Labour Party Laments over INEC Chairman’s Subpoenas.

Published

11 months ago

June 14, 2023

Stella Charles Akupue

Labour Party Laments over INEC Chairman's Subpoenas.

By Salihu Ali, Abuja

Labour Party, LP and its Presidential candidate Peter Obi have lamented over the refusal of Chairman Nigeria’s Electoral Umpire, the Independent National electoral commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, to accept a court summons to appear and produce documents before the court.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, Counsel to Obi, Dr Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, told the court that the chairman of INEC, Prof. Yakubu, has continuously refused to accept subpoenas to produce the election documents despite efforts by the court bailiff to serve him.

However, Counsel to the INEC Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, argued that it was untrue that the subpoena could not be served on the INEC Chairman, adding that it has become a pattern for the Petitioner (Obi) to look for a weeping boy.

He argued that a similar subpoena from Atiku Abubakar and his party was served on INEC without hitches.” It’s unfair and uncharitable” for Obi’s counsel to make such a claim adding that if there is any copy of the subpoena, there is a legal department to receive the document.

Pinheiro, SAN, advised that if Obi’s counsel wants to ask for an adjournment, they ( respondents) are not opposing it, but “it would be unfair to use INEC as a weeping boy.”

Labour Party Laments over INEC Chairman’s Subpoenas.

Counsel to Obi insisted that it was obvious that the INEC chairman could not be served with a copy of the subpoena, adding that the bailiff said the service was refused, which he said could be verified by the court.

Obi’s Counsel, however, said that he had contacted INEC lead counsel Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, who graciously requested an extra copy of the subpoena, which he promised to send to the INEC chairman.

He said by the end of the proceeding hoped that the issue would be resolved by Counsel to the INEC.

Earlier, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Wednesday tendered additional exhibits against President Tinubu’s declaration as the election winner.

The exhibits, which are mainly downloads of the INEC results viewing portal, I-Rev, reports certified by INEC as true copies.
The result reports used by INEC during the election were admitted by the panel as exhibits to determine the legality or otherwise of Tinubu’s return as a Nigerian leader.

Labour Party Laments over INEC Chairman’s Subpoenas.

Obi, through Audu Anuga, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), tendered I-Rev reports from Seven states and Bimodal Voters Accreditation System Machine, BIVAS reports from 28 States, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

A breakdown of the exhibits tendered, including the download of I-Rev reports from 21 Local Government Areas of Benue State, 25 local government of Areas of Niger State, 17 Local Government areas of Edo State, 20 local government of areas of Bauchi State, 8 local government Areas of Bayelsa State, 8 Local Government Areas of Gombe State and 21 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.

Obi also tendered supplementary I-Rev reports from two Local Government Areas of Kaduna State and certificates of compliance for six states.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Election Petition Court has adjourned the hearing on the petition till Thursday.

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