Ill health of counsel stalls hearing in Obi, LP’s petition

The presidential election petition tribunal has adjourned the case of the Labour Party (LP) and Peter Obi, presidential candidate in the last election, to Thursday.

Obi and LP filed a petition challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.

At the court session on Wednesday, Awa Kalu, petitioners’ counsel, informed the five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani, that due to “an unexpected development,” he would be seeking for an adjournment until Thursday.

Kalu, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), further disclosed that two of the legal team members took ill.

“I am constrained to pray for an adjournment until tomorrow,” Kalu said. 

Lawyers to the respondents–Wole Olanipekun for Tinubu, Lateef Fagbemi for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Abubakar Mahmoud for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – did not oppose Kalu’s request for an adjournment. 

However, the chair of the panel reminded the petitioners’ legal team that they were eating into their allotted time.

“If you ask for an adjournment, you are eating into your time,” Tsammani said.

Subsequently, the suit was adjourned until Thursday for further hearing.