Peter Obi, Labour Party Accuses Prof. Yakubu Of Evading Subpoena

Peter Obi, a candidate for president, and the Labour Party (LP) have notified the Presidential Election Petitions Court that Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been evading service of subpoena on him.

Yakubu has allegedly refused to receive the letter subpoena despite efforts to serve him, according to Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), lead counsel to LP and Obi, who made this claim on Wednesday, June 14.

In response, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), an attorney for INEC, objected and said that the chairman had previously been served with a subpoena by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), thus he had not objected to its delivery.

This occurred as both parties blamed each other for what appeared to be poor progress in the LP’s suit against President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the recent presidential elections.

Uzoukwu went on to say that he and INEC lead counsel, A.B. Mahmoud SAN, had reached an arrangement for the subpoena to be served on any member of his team.

“My lord, I drew the attention of the INEC lead counsel, A.B Mahmoud to the failure of the office of the INEC Chairman, to accept the service of a subpoena to produce more electoral documents despite the efforts of the bailiffs of this court.”

Justice Haruna Tsammani, the court’s presiding justice, asked the attorneys to refrain from arguing on the issue.

“He (Mahmoud) graciously asked me to give him a copy of the subpoena but I did not have an extra copy to give him now and he asked me to give to any member of his team,” he said.

The INEC legal team would receive a copy of the subpoena after today’s sessions, according to Uzoukwu, who claimed he did not have an extra copy in court.

“I am confident that he will do the needful for us to continue tomorrow,” Uzoukwu said while asking for adjournment of his case.

The panel, led by Justice Tsammani, encouraged lawyers to “calm your tempers,” reminding them that regardless of the outcome of the case, “we are still friends.”

Wole Olanipekun SAN, Tinubu’s lawyer, did not oppose to the adjournment request.

Following that, the court deferred the hearing to Thursday.