The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja , on Wednesday, adjourned the case of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, against the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu.
The development was sequel to the request of Obi’s lawyers, seeking for an adjournment over the inability to present witness.
The PEPC had earlier directed Obi’s legal team to present their 50 witnesses within three weeks from May 30 while directing the legal team of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to present their 100 witnesses to substantiate their allegations against the election of Tinubu.
Incidentally, Obi’s legal team had presented one witness on Monday while tendering documents including a United States District Court judgement on Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, the lead lawyer to Obi, Awa Kalu (SAN), asked the court for an adjournment till Thursday (today) on the grounds that two of its key staff members are sick.
He said, “My Lords, our plan for this proceeding was to start with our presentation of our documents but we have an unexpected development at our secretariat.
“The unexpected development relates to illness to two of our key staff for which reason I am constrained to pray for an adjournment till tomorrow morning.
“I have before now dropped the hint with Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).
“With the greatest humility and apology, I assure my Lord that tomorrow morning we will be here with vigour, if our application is granted.”
But the lead lawyer to INEC, A. B. Mahmoud (SAN) responded that he expected the petitioner’s lawyer to have informed him about the development before the proceedings.
He ,however, stated that but he was constrained not to object to the application for adjournment.
Speaking on the request for adjournment, the Chairman of of PEPC, Justice Haruna Tsammani, stated that if a party is asking for adjournment in a Presidential Election Petition Court, it is “eating into your time.”
The lead lawyer to Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN,) did not raise objection to the application for adjournment.
Following agreement by lawyers not to object to the application, Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned further hearing till Thursday.
He said, “This petition is further adjourned to Thursday for continuation of hearing.”
It is instructive to note that judgement in all the petitions will be delivered in September in line with the 180 days constitutionally stipulated for Tribunals to conclude sittings.
Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, Kalu said his adjournment request was not a setback.
The Senior Advocate also said he was confident to produce all his witnesses and evidence within the remaining 19 days given to them by the court.
He said, “ Never mind, within the time we have, we will conclude our case. “
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