Obi, LP unwilling to pay required fees for exhibits’ certification – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has blamed its failure to provide the Labour Party, LP, and and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, election documents they requested for the prosecution of their petition at the Predidential Elections Petitions Tribunal, PEPT, on their unwillingness to pay for the certification of the documents.INEC said their unwillingness to pay the required fees was responsible for the delay in the release of the remaining documents in relation to Sokoto and Rivers states.
Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, lead counsel for NEC, told the PEPTat the resumed hearing of the petition that INEC would release the requested documents once Obi and LP paid the fees as specified.
Mahmoud also accused the LP team of walking out of a meeting where documents to be tendered as exhibits in the case were to be sorted out.
According to him, dedpite writing five letters, visiting INEC headquarters and even meeting with INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, on the issue, his efforts had not been successful. He, therefore, prayed the court to compel INEC to release the relevant documents, including Form EC8A to the petitioners.
Uzoukwu also denied that they walked out of any meeting as alleged by Mahmoud.
