The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has begun its defence of the February 25 presidential election on a shaky note with non of its three witnesses present at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPEC) in Abuja.
Contrary to the scheduled activities of the Court, INEC which was billed to open defence, came to the Court without any witness.
INEC’s lead counsel, Abubakar Mahmood informed the Court of his plan to call three witnesses to counter the allegations of the Labour Party LP and its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
He however lamented that non of the witnesses was in court due to domestic reasons.
Mahmoud pleaded with the Court to bear with him and applied for adjournment but the lead counsel to the Petitioners Livy Uzuoku expressed shock and surprise with the conduct of the electoral body.
He told the Court that INEC’s lawyer ought to have taken him into confidence before the commencement of the proceedings.
However, Chief Wole Olanipekun who represented President Tinubu and Lateef Fagbemi who represented the All Progressives Congress APC did not oppose the request for adjournment.
Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani subsequently fixed a new date of July 4 for the electoral body to open its defence.
