According to Vanguard, In a recent development, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja has granted the request of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to adjourn further proceedings on his case challenging the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25. Obi’s legal team, led by Prof. Awa Kalu, SAN, informed the court that two crucial staff members fell ill, which affected their plan to present vital documents to support their claim of election rigging in favor of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Prof. Kalu expressed regret and apologized for the adjournment request, assuring the court that they would proceed diligently the following day. President Tinubu’s lead counsel and the lawyers representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC did not oppose the adjournment request. However, they requested that a day be deducted from the original three-week timeframe given to Obi to present his case.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, the presiding judge, granted the adjournment and scheduled the next hearing for Thursday. It is worth noting that Obi and the LP had indicated their intention to call 50 witnesses in support of their claim. The joint petition filed by Obi and the LP contends that Tinubu was not the valid winner of the presidential election and that he was ineligible to participate in the contest due to various reasons, including a previous indictment and fine in the United States.
The petitioners argue that the election was marred by corrupt practices and non-compliance with electoral regulations. They claim that INEC failed to deploy necessary technological devices for voter accreditation and verification. The petitioners seek various reliefs, including the declaration that Tinubu’s votes were wasted and an order for a fresh election excluding Tinubu, his running mate Kashim Shettima, and the APC.
Obi and his vice-presidential candidate were present in court during the proceedings. The court will continue hearing the petition filed by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second in the presidential election, later in the day.
