INEC Fails to Open Defence at Presidential Tribunal
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to call its first witness in the petition challenging the result of the February 25 presidential election.
The Presidential Election Petitions Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani had on June 23 ordered INEC to open their defence on July 3 following the conclusion of the cases of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But at the resumed hearing on Monday, counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), informed the court that of the three witnesses they planned to call, the first witness could not attend the hearing due to some family issues.
He pleaded for an adjournment to Tuesday to enable the witness attend.
Lawyers to LP, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN); President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) did not object to the request by Mahmoud.
Consequently, Justice Tsammani adjourned the petition to Tuesday for hearing.
