President Bola Tinubu has announced the date on which he would commence the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) defense against the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar’s appeal at the Presidential Election appeal Court.
President Tinubu’s attorney, Wole Olanipekun, reportedly told the court that Tinubu will begin presenting his case on Tuesday, July 4 according to The Nation.
Atiku and the PDP’s suit at the Presidential Election suit Court (PEPC) was defended by the electoral umpire after it called one witness, submitted some documents, and ended its case.
Following the presentation of his only witness, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, and Information Technology (IT), a partner of INEC, the defense attorney, Abubakar Mahmoud, pronounced his client’s case closed.
The PDP and Atiku’s attorneys cross-examined Mahmoud after he had adopted Bayode’s written evidence.
Peter Obi and the Labour Party filed a petition, but (INEC) has yet to present its defense in court for the Presidential Election Petition Court.
Abubakar Mahmoud, the main attorney for the electoral body, explained to the court on Monday that although his client wants to summon three witnesses over the course of three days, the one scheduled for today is unable to do so due to family obligations. He attributed the situation to the absence of the electoral body’s first witness.
As a result, the hearing was postponed until Tuesday, July 4, by 9 am, according to the presiding judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani.
Immediately following the court’s adjournment of its newly resumed hearing, speaking to reporters outside the court, In response to a petition filed by the Labour Party (LP), Levi Uzoukwu, the party’s attorney, claimed that INEC was not ready to defend itself.
In contrast to the INEC, who has continued to display discrepancies, the LP lawyer claimed that his client’s camp has a solid case and is prepared to advance with their claim.
Given the logical fallacies and actions taken by INEC, Uzoukwu asserted, “I’m sure they are not prepared to defend this case.”Even if I could be proved wrong, I would like to see them defend this situation so that more of what transpired during this election can be seen by the public.
In addition to stating that both he and his client, the LP, are prepared at all times, the legal counsel emphasized that it is up to the INEC to decide whether to call a witness or witnesses.
modulus123 (
)
