INEC and APC oppose LP’s request to question IT experts used in last election

Peter Obi and Labour Party’s appeal for an order from the Presidential Election Petition Court to question IT experts used by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the last presidential election has been opposed by the electoral commission and the ruling All Progressives Congress.

 

Asides from challenging the declaration by INEC that Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress won the election, LP and Obi, among other things, are also seeking details relating to the information and communication technology experts used by INEC in the conduct of the election.

Obi’s lawyer, Patrick Ikweto (SAN) filed two motions which captured 12 questions to be forwarded to INEC as part of efforts to support their petition which questioned the integrity of the election.

 

They said the interrogatory application if acceded to, would assist them in solidifying their claims that the conduct of the election was flawed.

Counsel for INEC, Kemi Pinhero (SAN) however objected to the application on the grounds of being brought outside the time specified and allowed by law. He said accepting the application outside the pre-hearing session had robbed the court of jurisdiction to hear it.

 

Both the counsel for Tinubu, Akin Olujimi (SAN) and counsel for the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) also opposed the request.

 

Justice Haruna Tsammani who reserved the ruling on the interrogatory applications by Obi and his party, adjourned further hearing on the petition till Friday (today), June 9.