INEC Fails to Open Defence in Obi’s Petition against Tinubu

Alex Enumah in Abuja 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday failed to open its defence in the petition of Mr Peter Obi challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.

The inability of the first respondent to open its case, according to the commission’s lawyer, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), was due to the unavailability of witnesses it planned to call in defence of the disputed February 25 presidential election that produced Tinubu as President.

A five-member-panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC), presided by Justice Haruna Tsammani had on June 23, adjourned hearing in the petition by the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Obi, to July 3.

The adjournment was to enable the respondents, which include Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC), open their defence of the victory of Tinubu and the APC at the presidential poll.

Obi had closed his case after calling 13 witnesses and tendered documentary and video evidence to prove that INEC allegedly manipulated the February 25 presidential election in favour of Tinubu and the APC.

When the matter came up on Monday, rather than opening its defence, INEC informed the court that although, it had planned to call three witnesses to defend the results of the presidential election, but could not do so because of the unavailability of the first witness scheduled for the day.

According to the commission, the first witness had just called him to explain that he could no longer make it to the court due to some family emergencies that just came up.

While praying the court to adjourn the matter till the next day when the witness would be around, Mahmoud stated that the commission would use three days for the three witnesses and then close its defence.

Responding, Obi and LP represented by Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) expressed sadness over the development but did not object to INEC’s request for adjournment. 

Same with Chief Wole Olanipakun (SAN), who represented Tinubu and Shettima and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) who represented the APC. 

Following the no-objection stance, Justice Tsammani subsequently adjourned to Tuesday for INEC to open its case defence.