PEPC: Peter Obi Tells Court INEC Chairman Is Evading Service Of Witness Summon

Peter Obi, a candidate of the Labour Party, LP, who alleged that the 2023 Presidential election was rigged, has accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, of evading the service of a witness summon on him

Ob had through his team of lawyers led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, obtained a subpoena to compel the INEC Chairman to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja. He wants the INEC boss to not only testify before the court as a witness, but to equally produce and tender in evidence, some sensitive materials that were used for the conduct of the presidential election.

At the resumed proceedings in the petition, he lodged to challenge the declaration of President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the Presidential contest, that held on February 25. Obi and his party, told the court that all efforts to serve a copy of the subpoena on the INEC Chairman, failed.

While lamenting the inability of his client to effect service of the summon of Prof. Yakubu, Obi’s lead counsel, Dr. Uzoukwu, SAN, said: “My lords, I thought that by now, we would have been through with the stage of tendering of documents. I have drawn the attention of the lead counsel to the INEC, Mr. Abubakar Mahmood, SAN, that the office of the Chairman of the Commission has consistently refused to accept subpoenas to produce certain documents, in spite of efforts of Bailiffs of this court”.

In response to the allegation, the INEC, through its lawyer, Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, accused Obi of always looking for who to blame for his failure. Pinheiro, SAN, while addressing the court, said he was not privy to any discussion that Obi’s lead counsel had with any member of the Commission’s legal team.

He said: “My lords should take note that it has become a habit for the Petitioners, that whenever they want to seek for an adjournment, they must look for someone to blame”.

Following a no-objection stance by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who appeared for President Tinubu, as well as by counsel for the APC, Mr Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, the court adjourned further hearing on the matter till Thursday.