Video clips of an interview with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, have become crucial evidence in Peter Obi and Labour Party’s petition against the victory of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that these video clips, submitted by Obi through a subpoenaed witness, will be played today at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
PEPC had initially faced resistance from the respondents’ lawyers on Friday but ultimately admitted the video evidence recorded on a flash drive.
The petition’s counsel, Jubrin Okitepa, SAN, called a witness, Lucky Obowo-Isawode, a reporter and editor from Channels TV, who was subpoenaed to produce the video clips.
However, the respondents’ counsel, including Kemi Pinhero, SAN for INEC, Akin Olujimi, SAN for President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, and Afolabi Fashanu, SAN for APC, objected to the adoption of the witness’s statement on oath, citing provisions in the Electoral Act.
Olujimi argued that the witness statement was filed three months after the announcement of the election results, which is against the timeframe specified in the Electoral Act. Pinhero aligned with Olujimi’s submission, emphasising that the petitioners were aware of the videos and should have filed them along with the petition. Fashanu supported the objections, stating that there should be no distinction between a subpoenaed witness and an ordinary witness regarding compliance.
Okitepa countered the objections, emphasising that a subpoenaed witness is competent to testify and urged the court to overrule the objections.
The subpoenaed witness had brought live interviews with INEC Chairman Yakubu and Mr. Festus Okoye as evidence. However, Olujimi objected to playing the video, as the flash drive had not been served on the respondents, arguing that it would be against the principle of fair hearing.
The court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, adjourned the hearing until today, allowing for the playing of the video evidence and further proceedings in the petition.
The case, marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, involves Obi and Labour Party’s challenge to the election that brought President Bola Tinubu to power, with the respondents being INEC, President Tinubu, and Vice President Shettima of APC.
