Hearing in the election petition of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi could not continue at the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) on Wednesday in Abuja as counsel to the petitioners, Prof. Awa Kalu, SAN asked for an adjournment due to unforeseen circumstances.
When the hearing resumed on Wednesday, Kalu told the court that he was constrained to ask for an adjournment.
“My lords, our plan was to continue our case but we had an unexpected development at the secretariat.
“The unexpected development has to do with the Illness of two of our key staff members for which reason I am constrained to pray for an adjournment until tomorrow.”
When the presiding judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani asked for the response of Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) he said he was not opposing the application.
“My lords I thought learned counsel would have given us heads up on this, however, in the circumstance, I am constrained not to object and this will count as a day out of their three weeks.”
Counsel to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Lateef Fagbemi, SAN and that of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima also did not object to the application.
Justice Tsammani then adjourned the matter until Thursday, saying today would be counted as a day within the petitioners’ three weeks.
The petitioners now have 19 days now need three weeks to prove their case, having told the PEPC that they would need three weeks
Kalu said the setback would not affect his client’s case.
He said that his team would use the remaining days to prove his client’s case.
