INEC’s witness fails to turn up to defend Tinubu’s election

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja has adjourned till Tuesday, July 4, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to open its case in the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.

This followed the absence of INEC’s witness in court on Monday.

LP and Obi are challeging the election of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tribunal had, last week, adjourned till Monday for the electoral umpire, which is the first respondent in the petition to open its defence of the February 25, 2023, presidential election which it conducted.

When the petition was called, the lead counsel for INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, told the court that the first defendant has three days to defend the outcome of the presidential election.

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Mahmoud 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 until Tuesday for INEC to open its case.

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 was not in court.

He, however, asked for an adjournment for INEC to open its case in the joint petition by Obi and his party against Tinubu’s election.

The request for adjournment was not opposed by the petitioners and President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the APC.

The five-member panel of Justices of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, therefore, adjourned further proceedings in the petition until Tuesday.

The Star