Livy Uzoukwu, the principal attorney for Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lacks impartiality in the electoral process.
Speaking before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Uzoukwu claimed that “the electoral umpire only acts like a candidate in its own election in Nigeria.”
This was said by the attorney in response to the commission’s decision to deny his client, Obi, access to the voting materials for the 2023 presidential election.
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Speaking after the court hearing on Thursday, Uzoukwu voiced his displeasure with the outrageous amount INEC was demanding.
He said, “The amount that was being demanded by INEC is far from being legitimate. I don’t want to be pushed to the wall, but let me put it this way: the amount is far from being legitimate. So, I believe I have said it all.”
Uzoukwu stressed how crucial it is for INEC to act impartially during the voting process.
Except for the petitioners, all other parties to the court proceedings, he pointed out, had received the necessary paperwork.
He questioned INEC’s reluctance to provide the necessary documents, stating, “What is INEC, the umpire, hiding? What is it hiding? Maybe you gentlemen of the press should interrogate them about why INEC should not be neutral, because that is how it’s supposed to be all over the world, including African countries. It’s only in Nigeria that the electoral umpire behaves as if it’s a candidate in its own election.”
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Now that INEC has a lead counsel, Uzoukwu indicated his optimism for a fruitful conclusion from his next discussions with the organization.
He emphasized that INEC must carry out its duties in an open and impartial way.
The lawyer concluded, “I don’t think this should continue, and it should not continue.”
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