Non-Existent Documents Requested by Peter Obi's Legal Team at Presidential Election Tribunal, INEC Reveals

In a recent development at the Presidential Election Tribunal, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that some of the documents requested by Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during the 2023 election, do not exist. The tribunal, marked as CA/PEPC/03/2023, is currently hearing the challenge brought forward by Obi and the LP against the election of President Bola Tinubu, which took place on February 25.

During the court proceedings in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr. Lawrence Bayode, Deputy Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at INEC, testified that out of the five documents requested by Obi, two were non-existent, and one was still a work in progress. This revelation casts doubt on the credibility of the evidence being presented by Obi's legal team.

Among the witnesses called by Obi, Ms. Loretta Ogah, an ICT cloud engineer and a former Labour Party candidate for the House of Representatives in Cross River, also provided testimony. Ogah recounted her electoral defeat and shared that she took legal action against INEC due to the omission of her name from the electoral portal, which she claimed was a result of network failure.

Under cross-examination by Mr. Wole Olanipakun (SAN), counsel for Tinubu and Shettima, Ogah confirmed that she did not experience any glitches on the INEC portal on February 25. Additionally, she admitted that she was not familiar with INEC's password protocol, as she was not an employee of the organization.

Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), also cross-examined Ogah, seeking further clarification. She reiterated that no technical issues occurred on the INEC portal on the election day.

The presiding judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani, adjourned the proceedings to Wednesday for further hearings on the matter.

This development raises concerns about the authenticity and reliability of the evidence presented by Mr. Peter Obi and his legal team. As the tribunal continues, the credibility of the requested documents and the implications for the overall case will undoubtedly be closely scrutinized.

Stay tuned for updates on this ongoing legal battle as the Presidential Election Tribunal continues its proceedings.

Note: The information provided is based on the available news report from NAN.