INEC’s defence witness absent as presidential election tribunal resumes sitting

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is the first respondent in the petition of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the February presidential election, Peter Obi, suffered setback at the resumption of the tribunal proceedings on Monday, following the absence of the commission’s defence witness.
Counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud, at the resumed sitting of the tribunal on Monday, informed the tribunal that the witness he intended to present for the Monday’s proceeding, among the three witnesses he intended to invite in three days, was unable to make appearance because of some domestic issues. The INEC counsel, therefore, requested for an adjournment to Tuesday to enable the witness to appear on court.
There was no objection by the Counsel to other parties.
Chairmen of the Tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, accordingly, adjourned proceedings to 9.00am on Tuesday for the hearing.
INEC would be presenting defence witnesses in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, asa well as that of the Labour Party, they are challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 election.