POLITICS

The Absence of a Witness Delay INEC’s Defence on Obi’s Petition.

Published

10 months ago

July 3, 2023

Stella Charles Akupue

The Absence of a Witness Delay INEC's Defence on Obi's Petition.

The absence of a witness has prevented Nigeria’s Electoral Umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from opening its case against the petition filed by the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi and his party against the election of President Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress APC.

Last week, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja adjourned till Monday 3rd, for the electoral body, which is the first respondent in the petition to open its defence of the February 25 presidential election, which it conducted.

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When the petition was called on Monday, lead counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), told the court that the first defendant has three days to defend the outcome of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

He informed the court that the electoral body has three witnesses to present in its case and regretted that the witness slated to give evidence on Monday was not in court and asked for an adjournment till Tuesday for INEC to open its case in the joint petition by Obi and his party against Tinubu’s election.

The Absence of a Witness Delay INEC’s Defence on Obi’s Petition.

The request for adjournment was not opposed by Counsels to the petitioners and President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the APC, who are listed as second to fourth respondents in the petition.

Consequently, the five-member panel of Justices of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, adjourned further proceedings in the petition till Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

On Friday, June 28, Obi and his party closed their case in their petition challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the February 25 presidential election winner.

Obi and LP have presented 13 witnesses and tendered several documents to prove their allegations that the presidential election was conducted in gross violation of the Constitution, Electoral Act and INEC’s guidelines.

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Datti Baba Ahmed, attended the court’s session.

By Salihu Ali and Stella Charles.