On Monday, the legal team of Labour Party (LP) candidate for president in 2023, Peter Obi, criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its incapacity to present witnesses before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Monday, the chief of Obi’ s legal team, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), told reporters outside the courthouse that INEC’ s action is further proof that the electoral body is not prepared to defend the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in court.
On Monday, INEC was scheduled to commence its defence in response to the petition filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) before the Tribunal. However, the electoral body was unable to do so due to the absence of its initial witness, according to Nigerian Tribune.
Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), counsel for INEC, informed the court around 9: 30 a. m. that although his client intends to call three witnesses within three days, the one scheduled for today is unavailable due to family issues.
Mahmoud’ s request was not opposed by the attorneys for the other parties in the case: Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) for Obi/LP, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettma, and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In response, the Tribunal presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned until Tuesday, July 4, 2023. INEC has demonstrated numerous contradictions and inconsistencies in the 2023 elections, Uzoukwu said, adding that Nigeria has never had an election like this one.
He added, however, that he could be proven incorrect.
After citing domestic reasons for the absence of the first witness, INEC provided no explanation for the absence of the two other witnesses. ” I am confident that they are unprepared to defend this case.
” I stand to be proven wrong, but I hope they defend this issue so that the public will come to see more things. I continue to assert that we’ve never experienced an election like this one, ” he said.
Source:
SocietyDaily (
)
