Peter Obi: Presidential Election Petition Court Adjourns Pre-hearing Until May 19

Justice Haruna Tsamani announced the date to allow the petitioners inform the court on settlements of documents among the counsels.

The court had on Wednesday May 10 adjourned to May 17, and directed all the counsels to ensure they streamline issues to be determined before the next pre-hearing date, that is today.

Counsel to Peter Obi and Labour Party, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu SAN, had informed the Election Petition Court that he agreed with all counsels to the first and fourth respondents that the pre-hearing be adjourned to Wednesday 17 to allow all outstanding processes be exchanged and served for hearing.

All counsels to the defendants had both confirmed to the court, their unanimous agreements for the exchange of necessary replies and documents to be ready for adoption in today’s pre-hearing.

At the resumed pre-hearing on Wednesday 17, counsel to Peter Obi and Labour Party, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu SAN, told the court that pursuant to the meeting agreed upon, he is yet to receive seventy per cent of documents required from the INEC.

He informed the court that documents from two States, Sokoto and Rivers States were yet to be tendered to him by the INEC after several requests, adding that the meeting among the counsels was not successful.

Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  Abubakar Mahmoud, while responding, informed the court that his team of lawyers showed up for the scheduled meeting on Monday, May 15, only for Obi and the Labour Party’s team of lawyers to stage a walkout to protest the inability of the INEC to give them documents from the two States.

Mahmoud claimed that Obi and the Labour Party did not fulfill the necessary protocols of obtaining documents from the INEC.

He, however, promised to provide the necessary assistance to Obi and the LP counsel in securing the documents.

Both counsels to Ahmed Tinubu, Mr. Wole Olanipekum and Lateef Fagbemi of All Progressives Congress APC confirmed the walkout staged by the Obi and LP team of counsels.

Chairman of the Panel, Justice Haruna Tsamani, adjourned to Friday 19 for continuation of the pre-hearing session.

Meanwhile, two factions of the Labour Party clashed at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, venue of the Presidential Election Petition just as a factional Chairman, Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, was taken into protective custody by security operatives attached to the court.

Shortly after Justice Haruna adjourned, Apapa, while stepping out of the courtroom, made an attempt to address the media.

While getting set for questions, a group of youths that identified themselves as “Obidients”, pushed him away from the cameras, insisting that he lacked the right to speak for the party.

It took the intervention of armed security operatives to pull the factional Labour Party, who appeared helpless, away from the mob.

Reacting to the situation shortly, the LP acting National Chairman, Alhaji Bashiru Apapa, expressed satisfaction with the actions of the factional party members, adding that he will continue to be in the court in the interest of the party despite the misunderstanding in the party.