INEC’S Refusal To Release Documents – Tribunal Adjourns On Atiku’s Petition

Hearing in the petition of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday by the Presidential Election Petition Court.

This followed the alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to make available some critical electoral materials to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar.

Accordingly, the Court shifted further hearing in the petition filed by Atiku against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to June 7, 2023 to allow INEC respond to the request of Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the supply of the documents.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who conducted proceedings for Atiku, sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against Tinubu.

The exhibits which were documents used for the February 25, Presidential Election were those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu, Igalamela Odolu and Kogi that were sought to be tendered by Atiku.

The Court however noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits in piece meals would not be of any help especially in the areas of marking and numbering them even though the schedule of documents was filed along with the exhibits.

Jegede, who rose to the questions put to him by the Court stood his grounds and blamed the INEC for deliberate refusal to supply his client with the vital documents.

The Counsel to Atiku said that his client had paid as much as N6M for the supply of the certified true copy of the exhibits and therefore lamented that INEC had not been forthcoming and cooperating as required and envisaged.

Jegede further said that in order to safe the situation, the legal team of Atiku had to subpoena top officials of INEC to compel them to bring the required documents before the Court on their own.

However, Jegede sought for a 24-hour adjournment to enable him approach INEC to do the needful and following no objections from the Counsels to INEC represented by Abubakar Mahmud SAN, Tinubu represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), represented by Lateef Fagbemi SAN as lead counsel, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani adjourned the matter till June 7, 2023.