There was another setback to the hearing of the case submitted by the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and his party, at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, as their legal representation requested for an adjournment over the ill-health of one of his staff members.
Resuming the hearing of the case, which was adjourned from Tuesday to Wednesday, May 31, the counsel to the petitioners, Prof. Awa Kalu SAN, told the court that he was constrained to ask for an adjournment due to unforeseen circumstances.
“My lords, we planned to continue our case but we had an unexpected development at the secretariat.
“The unexpected development has to do with the Illness of two of our key staff members for which reason I am constrained to pray for an adjournment until tomorrow,” he said.
However, the presiding judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani asked for the response of Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, who also said he was not opposed to the application by the petitioner’s lawyer.
“My lords I thought learned counsel would have given us heads up on this, however, in the circumstance, I am constrained not to object and this will count as a day out of their three weeks,” he stated.
Similarly, the Counsel to the All Progressives Congress, Mr Lateef Fagbemi SAN and of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima did not object to the application filed by the petitioners’ course.l
However, Justice Tsammani adjourned the case till Thursday, noting that today would be counted as a day within the petitioners’ three weeks ultimatum, to prove their case before the tribunal.
Speaking to newsmen, after the adjournment, Kalu said that the setback would not affect his client’s case, noting that his team would use the remaining days to prove his client’s case.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, having told the PEPC that they would need three weeks to prove their case, the petitioners now have just 19 days to go.