Today @ Court. Labour Party Lead counsel Barrister Levi says “My Lord we are yet to receive about 70% of the documents INEC are supposed to give us to aid our case”
He says in Rivers for example, the Resident Electoral Commissioner told LP boldly that they don’t have any Form EC8As to give and refused to put that in writing even on request.
Tinubu’s lead counsel said they didn’t agree to come and argue about the documents from INEC on the last adjourned date.
They said the agreement did not cover that when they chose to meet.
Recall: On the last adjourned date, they agreed to meet and make agreements on documents to oppose and others that were unopposed.
LP insists and said clearly that without the documents, they will not be able to make agreements. LP says they will make a written application for a subpoena of the court to receive the documents from INEC.
INEC and Tinubu insisted that LP walked out of the meeting and they are always willing to cooperate. However, Dr. Livy says it’s untrue as two SANs were at the meeting (Ikechukwu Ezechkwu SAN and Prof Paul Ananaba SAN). The SANs asked the INEC lawyer to give them a date when they will give them the documents they require but they said No.
Dr. Livy: We wrote the INEC chairman 5 times and we have the evidence in court. They have still only provided us with 30% of the documents we requested for.
Dr. Livy: Wole (Wole Olanipekun (SAN) Tinubu’s lead Counsel) and the other parties served us documents on Monday and some yesterday and even today whilst in court. This is all tactics.
Dr. Livy: Officially, we are ready to pay any amount INEC wants from us if they will give us all the documents we need today! I will meet with their counsel and report to the court.
LP insists and said clearly that without the documents, they will not be able to make agreements. LP says they will make a written application for a subpoena of the court to receive the documents from INEC.
Olanipekun (Tinubu’s counsel) is arguing that the petitioner’s team (LP & Obi) walked out of a meeting they scheduled yesterday. They asked LP’s team to pay 1.5 million Naira for certification of documents from INEC.
Basically the respondents (INEC, Tinubu, Shettima & APC) are working together. Olanipekun just mentioned it in his own address that the petitioner’s should pay for certification of documents from INEC so the petition can proceed.
Dr. Ivy reiterated that since the institution of the petition, they have filed on time every document required of them and any delay we’re experiencing at the moment is as a result of the actions of the respondents.
The court adjourned the case till Friday but Olanipekun (Tinubu’s counsel) objected saying they need time to reply the petitioners (LP & Obi) or respond in person.
He’s calling for the lead counsels to “put heads together.”
The court ignored his objection and insisted that the case will be adjourned till Friday May 19th, 2023.
Thank you for your patience in today’s court session update