The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday failed to present any of its three witnesses to open their defence against the Labour Party and its Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPEC).
According to the pre-hearing report schedule, the electoral body was to open defence on the 3rd of July, after the Prosecutions closed their case.
Its lead counsel and former President of the Nigeria Bar Association NBA, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmood SAN, informed the Court of his plan to call three witnesses to counter the allegations of the Labour Party LP and its Presidential candidate, Peter Gregory Obi.
He however lamented that none of the witnesses was in court due to domestic reasons for him to open the defence.
The senior lawyer pleaded with the Court to bear with him and applied for an adjournment of his defence.
However, lead counsel to Peter Obi, Dr Livy Uzoukwu SAN, expressed shock and surprise by the conduct of the electoral body.
He told the court that the INEC lawyer ought to have taken him into confidence before the commencement of the proceedings.
However, Counsel to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN and Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi SAN who represented the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not object to the request for adjournment of INEC’S plea for the case to be shifted.
Consequently, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani adjourned the Court till Tuesday July 4.
