Pressure On Peter Obi To Make Ikpeazu SAN Lead Counsel At Presidential Tribunal

If supporters of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 election, have their way, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN will be leading his legal team challenging the outcome of the 2023 presidential election that was declared in favour of president-elect, Bola Tinubu, THE WHISTLER has reliably gathered.

Several members of the “Obidient Movement” who spoke off-the-record to this newspaper on the ongoing litigation at the presidential tribunal have expressed lack of confidence in those leading Obi’s legal battle.

“Some of us don’t have confidence in those leading the team, we were hoping Ikpeazu will lead the team because of his history with Obi and the legal battles he had won in the past,” one of the leaders of the group told THE WHISTLER.

The feeling within Obi’s camp was further buttressed on May 10, at the Presidential Election Petitions Court in Abuja, when Balami Isaac, Deputy National Campaign Manager, Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, in a video shared via his Twitter page, described Ikpeazu as “our lead counsel” even when Obi’s legal team is currently led by Livy Uzoukwu SAN.

“The Obidients are actually hopeful. They believe that God’s grace is upon you. We are here, we are in the court guys, this is our lead counsel; a father, a mentor, a mover, a shaker. Guys don’t be scared,” Isaac said in the video obtained by our correspondent.

Ikpeazu, who is seen in the video, however, downplayed the comment, saying legal teams in court traditionally follow seniority and that Obi’s team was in order and on the right track.

“As a matter of fact, you know we have a very traditional profession, the oldest lawyer in a team is the leader of the team.

“The oldest lawyer in our team now in terms of elevation to Senior Advocate of Nigeria is Livy Uzoukwu; so, Livy Uzoukwu is actually the leader of the team.

“Awa Kalu is supporting him and I am also supporting him, we are all working together but in terms of who takes the ultimate decision, it is Livy Uzoukwu,” Ikpeazu explained in the video.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on March 1 announced that Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party had 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

Obi and the LP leadership subsequently announced in a press conference that the presidential poll will be challenged in court and that has since commenced.

At the initial stage of the litigation, Ikpeazu was the lead counsel who moved an exparte application before the Court of Appeal seeking its order to inspect INEC materials including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, so as to establish claims that the 2023 presidential election was marred by alleged ballot rigging.

But Obi’s petition was eventually filed by Uzoukwu, the lead counsel, while Awa Kalu and Ikpeazu became number 2 and 3 in the legal team’s lineup.

Sources within Peter Obi’s campaign train told THE WHISTLER that they expected him to stick with the lawyer that helped restore his stolen mandate as Anambra governor in 2006.

The sources told THE WHISTLER that Obi earlier approached Ikpeazu to lead his petition but “later changed” his mind.

Our correspondent was informed by the sources that they believe Ikpeazu’s legal reputation is huge when it comes to election-related cases, especially with “the recent Supreme Court judgment that upheld the election of Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke.”

They argued that Ikpeazu has “no responsibility” in Peter Obi’s case as number 3 while advising the LP candidate to rejig his legal team for better output and to better focus on the issues rather than filing “useless” motions like the application seeking live transmission of proceedings.

It remains to be seen if Obi will succumb to the wishes of his supporters or stick with the team leading his legal battle at the presidential tribunal.