The Labour Party (LP) and its Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, expressed their frustration over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu’s refusal to accept court summons and produce necessary documents before the Presidential Election Petition court (PEPC). Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, counsel to Obi, raised the issue during Wednesday’s proceedings, highlighting the continuous rejection of subpoenas by Prof. Yakubu and the resulting hindrance to the progress of the case.
The LP’s counsel, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, brought to the court’s attention the persistent refusal of INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, to accept court summons and produce essential election documents. Despite the efforts of the court bailiff to serve him, Prof. Yakubu has repeatedly denied accepting the subpoenas, causing significant delays and impeding the smooth progress of the case.
During Monday’s proceedings, which began at around 2:30 pm, the court heard testimonies from witnesses, including the seventh witness (PW7) presented by the petitioners, represented by HE Peter Obi and led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN. The respondents, however, declined to cross-examine the witness, citing late receipt of her Witness Statement on Oath (WSOO) that very morning.
The court agreed that the examination in chief would proceed that day, while the cross-examination by the respondents would take place the following day. The witness, a female Cloud Engineer & Architect with Amazon Web Services (AWS), had her subpoena submitted as evidence, albeit facing objections from the respondents. The court admitted the subpoena and tagged it with an exhibit number.
Further objections were raised by the respondents regarding the witness’s Résumé and Reports on the health status of Amazon Web Services’ Cloud in six regions. However, the court admitted and tagged these documents as exhibits, except for the objections raised by the 4th respondent.
In the midst of the proceedings, JS Okutepa drew the court’s attention to the continuous refusal of INEC to comply with court orders, despite all efforts made. He specifically mentioned that only a few Local Government Areas in Lagos and Gombe states had been received. Dr. Livy Uzoukwu also expressed his concerns about the dishonesty of INEC in producing requested documents.
Seeking cooperation between counsels for the sake of the legal profession’s integrity, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu appealed for fairness and justice. The court emphasized its commitment to impartiality and delivering justice. All respondents agreed to meet and cooperate with the petitioners.
The day’s proceedings concluded at approximately 4:30 pm and were adjourned until Tuesday, June 20th, 2023, at 2 pm. The LP and Peter Obi hope for a resolution to the issue of INEC’s refusal to comply with court orders and the subsequent delay in obtaining the necessary documents for the case to move forward smoothly.
