The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has taken a significant step in his legal battle, urging the Supreme Court to consider new documents against President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at the court on Monday, Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, emphasised the gravity and constitutional significance of the matter, urging the court to accept their application.
Uche argued, “The issue involving Mr. Tinubu’s certificate is a weighty, grave, and constitutional one, which the Supreme Court should admit. I urge the court to admit the fresh evidence of President Tinubu’s academic records from CSU presented by Atiku. The Supreme Court must take a close look at Mr. Tinubu’s records and make a decision free from technicalities.”
However, the lawyer representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abubakar Mahmoud, urged the Supreme Court to reject Atiku’s application, which seeks to introduce President Tinubu’s academic records as fresh evidence.
Tinubu’s lead counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, argued that INEC should have been a party in the deposition proceedings that occurred in the United States. He noted that the depositions from CSU remain dormant until the deponent appears in court to testify.
Olanipekun further contended that Atiku cannot seek to introduce fresh evidence at the Supreme Court, setting the stage for a legal showdown that will shape the course of this critical case.
