Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar has taken a swipe at the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) for exhibiting “crass ignorance and incomparable low
level wretched illiteracy” in his choice of Dr Livy Uzoukwu in the
petition challenging the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as
winner of February 19, 2019 polls.
The INEC had in a counter affidavit challenged the choice of Dr
Uzoukwu as counsel in the petition, claiming that the Senior Advocate of
Nigeria (SAN) was not on the roll call of lawyers called to the bar and
therefore not eligible to practice in the country.
The counter affidavit specifically referred to documents signed by
the learned, SAN as Dr Livy Uzoukwu as against one Dr. Livinus Uzoukwu
which INEC acknowledged to be on the roll call, arguing that both names
could not be referring to one and same person.
Atiku, in a reaction to the claim said INEC has exhibited what he
termed as “crass ignorance” as the use of abbreviations by counsel has
been settled by the Supreme Court.
In a statement on Tuesday signed by Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant
on Public Communications and Strategy, the PDP flagbearer said as in the
case of the dubious WAEC certificate paraded by Buhari, the APC and
INEC has assembled a team of lawyers intent on misleading the courts and
Nigerians in general.
“It’s either INEC is not aware or chose to maintain a blind eye as
far as this issue is concerned. How can you say a former Attorney
General of Imo State and a SAN is not qualified to practice law in
Nigeria? This is a clear case of crass ignorance and incomparable
display of low level of illiteracy intended to mislead the court and
Nigerians”.
The former Vice President further referred Nigerians to a judgment of
the Supreme Court permitting counsels to use abbreviations as well as
their full names, adding that the use of Livy as against Livinus in the
roll call of lawyers called to the bar does not in anyway diminish from
the qualification of his counsel.
