Human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of attempting to frustrate efforts to obtain President Bola Tinubu’s electoral records from the 1999 Lagos governorship and 2023 presidential elections.
Sowore made the allegation in a post on his X account on Tuesday, following INEC’s move to challenge a Federal High Court subpoena directing its chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, to produce the documents.
Describing the development as INEC being “on the run” over Tinubu’s certificate records, the activist questioned why the commission was challenging a court order requiring it to produce the President’s electoral documents.
“Why is INEC fighting a court order demanding records that should be in its custody? What exactly is the electoral commission afraid of producing?” Sowore asked.
He also insisted that the documents must be produced, declaring that “Tinubu’s records must be produced.”
The activist accompanied his post with copies of court documents showing that INEC had filed an application seeking to set aside the subpoena issued on October 26 by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar.
The subpoena directed Amupitan to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted during the 1999 Lagos governorship election, including his declaration concerning lost certificates, as well as his nomination documents for the 2023 presidential election.
However, in its application, INEC argued that the subpoena was defective, claiming that it was not personally served on its chairman as required by law.
The commission also challenged the relevance and description of the documents requested, urging the court to set aside the order.
The development is connected to Sowore’s ongoing criminal trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over his social media publications describing Tinubu as a criminal.
The Department of State Services is prosecuting the activist over the publications.
Tinubu’s educational qualifications and the circumstances surrounding his declaration of lost certificates have been subjects of political and legal controversies, particularly during the 2023 presidential election.
His academic records also featured prominently in legal proceedings challenging his election victory.
The latest dispute over the subpoena raises questions about whether INEC’s chairman will appear as a defence witness and produce the requested electoral documents.
