The Presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his Party has disclosed their intention to summon Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman along with the Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Rose Oriarian-Anton, as well as INEC’s National Commissioner, Mr. Festus Okoye.
They are to appear before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja on Thursday, June 15 to testify in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The counsel to Atiku and PDP, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, who informed the court of this development at Tuesday’s session proceedings, disclosed that the INEC boss will appear with some sensitive electoral materials, used for the presidential election.
Although, the nature of documents the top INEC staff would be required to tender was not disclosed.
“My lords, for the benefit of the Respondents, so that they will not say that we took them by surprise, we want to state that it has gotten to the stage where we will summon the National Chairman of INEC, the Secretary of the Commission as well as the National Commissioner, to appear in court with documents.
“We had earlier indicated our intention to bring them as subpoenaed witnesses and we have gotten to that stage that they may be required to appear in this matter.
“We have already indicated that we want them here, but by Thursday, we will make the formal application,” Atiku’s lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the court.
Atiku and the PDP, who are the petitioners, made their decision to summon the INEC bosses, after they produced two more witnesses that testified before the court.