LP Warned Not To Use INEC As Whipping Boy

the Independent National Electoral Commission has responded to a statement made by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his legal team that suggested the commission had refused to answer to subpoenas that had been served on them.

The petitioners had earlier claimed during the proceedings that the election commission had refused them access to several private documents that are relevant to their claims.

Livy Uzoukwu SAN, the petitioners’ attorney, once more complained to the Presidential Election Petition Court on Wednesday afternoon when she moved the motion for the adjournment of the hearing that INEC had “consistently refused…the subpoena to produce documents” despite efforts to gain access to the commission’s records.

He continued by saying that he needed to get the attention of INEC’s head attorney, A.B. Mahmoud, who gave him assurances that the commission would comply.

In response to the charge that his client was uncooperative, INEC’s attorney, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, who presided over Wednesday’s hearings on behalf of the electoral organization, refuted the claim.

He alleged that the petitioners were always holding them responsible for withholding documents from them and he pleaded with them to stop this “habit”.

He said, “Don’t use INEC as a whipping boy.”

He said he was unaware of any discussion Uzoukwu SAN may have had with their lead counsel, Mahmoud, to warrant the statement.

“It has become a habit for them to look for somebody to whip. I am not privy to any discussion he has had with A.B. Mahmoud.”

“It can’t be true that the receipt or the subpoena were refused.”

“It has become a habit for them to blame INEC or say that INEC has refused to release documents to them.

“It is not correct that the office of the chairman will refuse to respond to the subpoena. The chairman of INEC has no interest whatsoever. It is unfair to INEC.”

“If they have nothing else to do today, they should just say it.”

After hearing the response, Uzoukwu stuck to his guns and told the judge that his statements were simple to corroborate.

The Presidential Election Petition Court presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani, advised the two parties to calm their ruffled nerves after their disagreement.

Following that, the case was postponed until June 15 so that the hearing could continue.

In a case with the file number CA/PEC/03/2023, the LP and Obi contest the results of the presidential election in which Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was pronounced the victor by INEC.