INEC Frustrating Our Case; Witholding Vital Documents- LP

The Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have again accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately frustrating their case.

Obi and LP are challenging the outcome of the election held on February 25 which produced Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president.

At the court session on Monday, Jibrin Okutepa, counsel to petitioners, told the court that INEC is holding the legal team “hostage” by refusing to provide the documents requested for.

Narrating the experience which he termed “excruciating”, Okutepa said: “We are bringing this to your lordships’ notice because we have done everything humanly possible, including letter writing, and persuasion and it seems to us that we need to come before your lordships to come to our aid.”

“This afternoon, we received a few copies of IREV reports for a few LGAs in Lagos state, including Agege, Mushin, Oshodi, Isolo, epe, Surulere, Eti-Osa and Alimosho,” he continued.

“Each document was certified on May 29 but they decided to give it to us today.

“The same thing with Gombe. They just gave us the IREV report for just two LGAs. Those ones were also certified on May 29.

“We have consistently written letters, including the letter that I personally signed and delivered on May 20 to A.B Mahmoud (INEC lawyer), detailing all the documents we wanted.”

The senior lawyer said the letters were written to INEC, requesting documents to help prove their petition, noting that the letters were acknowledged by the commission.

He said INEC also refused to accept service of the subpoenas issued to them

“It appears that INEC is deliberately frustrating us….We have nowhere to cry to except to your lordships,” Okutepa said.

He prayed the court to direct that a copy of the subpoena should be served on INEC through its lawyer.

Responding, Abubakar Mahmoud, INEC counsel, described Okutepa’s allegations as “unfounded”.