Alex Enumah in Abuja
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, and his party were on Wednesday forced to request for a short adjournment from the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) hearing their case against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The request was occasioned by the sudden ill-health of two lawyers, whom they described as very crucial in the prosecution of their case.
The petitioners had at the commencement of hearing on Tuesday called its first witness who gave evidence of how President Tinubu forfeited the sum of $460,000 to the United States of America, over drug-related offences.
They had planned to tender documentary evidence, as well as call additional witnesses to prove their allegations against Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), at Wednesday’s proceedings.
However, when the matter was called, the petitioners represented by Chief Awa Kalu (SAN), informed the court that although their plan was to start with documents presentation, “unfortunately we encountered some problems at our secretariat. Two of our key staff fell ill suddenly. For this reason, we are pleading for an adjournment to tomorrow. Tomorrow only”.
Speaking further, the senior lawyer noted that although they had spoken about paragragh four but “the situation has suddenly changed. My lord, with the greatest humility and apology, I plead for tomorrow morning adjournment if my application is granted”.
Responding, the counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), while arguing that today’s proceedings must be counted as one of the petitioners’ days in their allocated time, did not object to the request for adjournment.
Similarly, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who is representing Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, and Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), lawyer to the APC did not object to the request.
In a short ruling, the Chairman of the PREPEC, Justice Tsammani, held that: “The case is hereby adjourned to tomorrow, June 1, 2023.”
