The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, failed to open its defence at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
INEC’s plan was stalled following the absence of their first witness, thereby abruptly forcing the Presidential Election Petition Court into an adjournment on Monday after resuming from its one-week break
INEC, the first respondent in the petition by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP), was scheduled to open their defence on Monday.
When the case was mentioned, Abubakar Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Lawyer to INEC, told the court that he planned to call three witnesses within three days.
Mahmoud SAN, however, told the PEPC that the first witness was unavailable because he needed time to attend to some personal issues.
INEC’s Lawyer then applied for an adjournment until Tuesday, when the witness will be in court.
Lawyers to other parties in the case – Livy Uzoukwu, Senior Advocates of Nigeria representing Peter Obi and Labour Party, Wole Olanipekun, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who is counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettma and Lateef Fagbemi also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria representing the APC did not object to the request by Mahmoud.
The Presidential Election Petition Court adjourned the hearing to Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
