INEC withholding electoral materials after paying N6m – Atiku’s lawyer tells court

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Atiku Abubakar was said to have paid up to N6million for the supply of certified true copy of the exhibits from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Counsel to Atiku, Eyitayo Jegede SAN, who made this know to the presidential election petition court, lamented that, still, the electoral body had not been forthcoming and cooperating as required and envisaged.
The alleged refusal of the INEC to make some critical electoral materials available to him, brought the proceeding to abrupt end.
Jegede explained that consequent to the above, Atiku’s legal team had to subpoena top officials of INEC to compel them to bring the required documents before the Court on their own.
Consequently, he sought for a 24- hour adjournment to enable him approach the electoral body to do the needful.
No objections from counsel to respondents, INEC represented by Abubakar Mahmud SAN, Tinubu represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN and the All Progressives Congress APC having Lateef Fagbemi SAN as lead counsel.
Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani adjourned the matter till June 7.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN who conducted proceedings for Atiku had sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against Tinubu.
The court admitted the evidence tendered as exhibits.