Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent member of the Labour Party (LP), has criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the commission suffered a “technical glitch” in its own case. Okonkwo made these remarks in a post on his Twitter handle on Monday.
According to Okonkwo, INEC failed to commence its defense at the presidential election petition tribunal on the designated day. He claimed that the absence of INEC’s witnesses may have been due to a “technical glitch” experienced by the electoral commission.
Earlier, INEC had a shaky start to its defense in the ongoing hearing of the February 25 presidential election. The commission’s witnesses were noticeably absent from the court on Monday. Abubakar Balarabe Mahmood, SAN, INEC’s lead counsel, informed the court that he intended to call three witnesses to counter the allegations made by the LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Gregory Obi. However, Mahmood lamented that none of the witnesses were present in court due to domestic reasons. He pleaded with the court for an adjournment to allow him to present his defense at a later date.
Consequently, the court adjourned the proceedings to July 4 for the continuation of the hearing. In response, Okonkwo expressed his frustration with INEC’s inability to present its defense, considering it a waste of fuel. He also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government of increasing the cost of fuel beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
Okonkwo stated, “Today was slated for INEC to open their case at the Presidential Election Petition Court. Not surprisingly, they failed to produce any witness, claiming their witness disappointed them. Must INEC continue to have a ‘technical glitch’ even in their own case? What a waste of fuel, which this APC government has raised beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians like us. The petition is adjourned to tomorrow, July 4, 2023, for the continuation of the hearing.”
Source:
Dr.Love (
)
