…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media.
Unorganized Document Filing Causes Adjournment
The Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, faced criticism from the Presidential Election Petition Court for their lack of preparedness in the case challenging President Bola Tinubu’s election victory.
During a session on Thursday, a senior lawyer representing the petitioners attempted to submit electoral documents as evidence, but they were not properly filed and scheduled according to court protocols.
As a result, the court temporarily adjourned the session, instructing the petitioners’ team to re-file the documents appropriately.
Insufficient Preparations Persist Despite Court’s Advice
Upon resumption, it became evident that the petitioners’ preparations were still insufficient.
Presiding Justice Haruna Tsammani, heading the five-member panel, advised the petitioners to request an adjournment in order to better organize their documents.
He expressed disappointment, stating that the proceedings thus far had been a waste of time, emphasizing that the petitioners had underestimated the complexity of their task.
However, Awa Kalu, another senior lawyer representing the petitioners, declined the court’s suggestion of an adjournment.
Resolution and Submission of Electoral Documents
Eventually, the issues surrounding document organization were sorted out, and the petitioners were able to submit electoral documents from six states as evidence.
Both the petitioners and the respondents are expected to call upon a total of 83 witnesses in the filed petition.
Timeline and Progress of the Case
The court has established a timeline from May 30 to August 5 for the various stages of the case, which include presenting evidence and adopting final addresses.
However, it is worth noting that as of now, the petitioners have only called one witness, highlighting the slow progress of their case.