Atiku accuses INEC of blocking access to documents, despite paying N6m

Democratic Party, PDP,  Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, accused Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of hampering the smooth presentation of the case he filed to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. 

Atiku lamented that though he had paid over N6 million for the certification of exhibits he intended to tender in evidence before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, the commission had yet to make the requested materials available to him.

Consequently, his lawyer, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, persuaded the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel to defer further hearing on the petition his client filed to nullify President Bola Tinubu’s election till today. 

Jegede had at the resumed proceedings on the petition, sought to tender in evidence before the court results of the election from 10  of 21 local government areas in Kogi State.

Atiku’s lawyer told the court that though his client applied for electoral materials from all the LGAs in the state, he was only furnished with results from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu , Igalamela-Odolu and Kogi.

He drew attention of the court to the fact that all the requested documents were earlier listed in the schedule of documents Atiku and the PDP said they would rely upon to prove their joint petition against the declaration of President Tinubu of the APC as winner of the presidential election that held on February 25.

Though the petitioners sought to tender the exhibits available to them from Kogi State, pending the release of other documents by INEC, the Justice Tsammani-led panel, however, stressed that the records of the court would not be tardy, if such sensitive exhibits were admitted in evidence  piecemeal.

While requesting for an adjournment, counsel for the former Vice President told the panel that his client had subpoenaed top INEC officials to compel them to produce some of the requested electoral documents before the court.

He said the request for an adjournment was to enable his team to re-approach the Commission to urge it to do the needful.

Meanwhile, none of the respondents in the matter opposed the application for the matter to be adjourned till Wednesday.

Cited as respondents in the case marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, are; INEC, President Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TB Joshua: How I found my husband dead — Wife

Image
Evelyn, wife of late TB Joshua. •Wound of his passage 'll take time to heal — Brother EVELYN Joshua , wife of the late founder of  Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, Prophet TB Joshua, has explained how her husband died during ministration without sign of ill-health. Mrs Joshua said her husband spent about three hours in prayers before the last service on the mountain and was looking very healthy, adding that he never showed any sign of illness  and that his main concern was about the prayer line they offered to Indians against the COVID-19 pandemic. She said: "Afterward, he came up to shower and I left him to have some time to prepare for service as worship had started. "A few minutes later, he stepped out for ministration. "While ministering, he spoke about a time to come and time to leave. "His statements were spiritual and suddenly, he left the stage and went to his inner chambers. I waited a few minutes and thereafter decided to check on him. "I m...
Read more

Oyo school kidnap: We can’t risk more lives in rescue efforts — Soun

THE Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, has said that security authorities are adopting a cautious approach in responding to the abduction of students and teachers from three schools in the Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.  Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, he referenced the killing of one of the abducted teachers by the kidnappers amid attempts to track them down, saying that the tragic incident underscored the need for restraint and careful coordination among security agencies. Oba Olaoye, who explained that he was not in the country when the incident happened, said: “We see a lot of comments on social media; people should understand that these terrorists slaughtered one of the teachers on live video. “This is something we have not experienced before; it is what we saw with another group outside of the country. So, that tells us the people we are dealing with. For a teacher to be slaughtered like that, where you have child...
Read more

Easter: FG declares Friday, Monday public holidays

Image
THE Federal Government has declared Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6, 2026, public holidays to mark this year’s Easter celebration. The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government through  a statement by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani.  The minister, who congratulated all Christians in Nigeria and in the diaspora on the joyous occasion of Easter, urged Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of selflessness, forgiveness, forbearance and love as exemplified by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  He reiterated that the goal of the government remained taking decisions that would bring about national rebirth, economic growth and shared prosperity.
Read more